When I was in my teens I was depressed and went to therapy, and part of what bothered me was life being unfair. It’s still really difficult for me to accept, as much as I know it is true.
My father had always told me life is unfair, but at the same time, as children, we are told to be fair, and what is fair. Even the golden rule is about fairness.
If one is raised in a happy home, where parents keep you feeling safe, and you can trust them and the people you interact with, and no great tragedy comes to pass during your childhood, then overall life feels fair during those years. That’s my experience anyway. I never knew people could lie and cheat until I was dating a liar cheater. It felt very unfair to me.
America talks a lot about justice. We see it on TV, and we learn it in school. Religion talks about it too. Justice is about fairness. What punishment will be just for a crime? What reward is just for a good act?
Many sayings we grow up with have to do with fairness What goes around comes around. A fair price. A fair deal.
It’s a constant theme.