Family and Country, Which is More Important for You?

Maybe I should avoid this discussion, but it touched a nerve in me. I have had a battle with our government (Social Security Administration) for over seven years now to get money that I worked almost 40 years for, disability insurance. For seven years, they have denied me this money, even after many doctors have said that I cannot work because of my disabilities. Now that they have finally approved me for benefits, I found out that the medical coverage they offer is so expensive that I'd be paying almost all of the money I get every month just to have my medical expenses partially covered! Private health insurance is cheaper than what the government offers! You must understand that, in this country, if we work, we get money deducted from every one of our paychecks just for this Social Security, in case we are disabled or when we reach retirement age. This is money we've earned, yet they've given me such a hard time to get what I worked for because I've been unable to work for the past 9 years. Since I can always depend on my family, always, no matter what, I would quickly put my family ahead of my country. As long as I have my family, it wouldn't matter to me which country I live in. I also know that our politicians make much more money than the average person in our country. Way more money than any human being needs. A lot of them are greedy, take bribes (of money) and get kickbacks (also money), and, if our government needed more money, I think they should make LESS money, comparable to what the average person makes, so that extra money would be available for what our government needs. I've seen too many TV shows about how our government wastes money, uses our tax dollars to do things without telling us about them and just spends way too much money than what they need. We don't have a say in this, either. I have read about or heard about too many dishonest politicians, including some of our presidents, to be able to ever put them ahead of my family. My family will always come first.

Didn't Thatcher say there was no such thing as society? (She did, but she was wrong... ) Which is most important to me? I suppose that depends how you choose to define "country"... I live in England and I am English, yet I am deeply ashamed of our past, our present, and most (realistic) incarnations of our future. I hate the English: the English are w*nkers. So I have no love for my country. I am lucky in respect of my family, but I'm not especially close to them. Of course I care for them, but I am much more in love with my other half. I'd put her interests - and, ultimately, our interests - above the 'traditional' family and above my country.

Hi, getbrowser. On a personal perspective Family is more important. But on a worldy perspective my Country is very important.. I can't choose them out of one of the other..

Hi, definately its my family. Everybody loves his country no doubt. But my family is my first preference.And it is obvious. My doughter is everything for me, she is my country, she is my world. Yes, i will definately contribute for development of my country.

I have to say both the family and country are important for me.I was raised by my family,but without my country,i couldnt live so well during the past years. Sometimes we need to losing some personal benefits because the country need us .that's ok for me .if our country can become much more better with the benefits we give up,we'll get more benefits in the future. I believe that.

the question seemed to need a thorough understanding of its origin. but simply put everything that is happening in our country now starts with in the family system. if the head of the family lack the morale (meaning they themselves does not value or does not have a clear understanding of what is morally right) therefore the children who becomes a leaders in the future bring these value to the society. when the time for these children to rule the country values learned at home will now become evident. Now to the choice whether family or country: both! that is the reason why it try to inculcate to my children the value of honesty, of giving importance to what God has given them, to treat people with dignity and to respect the rights and dignity of other people, because i value both: My family and my country. from the family, it will spread to the community. i think that is the real meaning of the saying that goes: "..the youth are the leaders of the future."

Family and country can both be corrupt, and can both be fraught with political issues of their own, especially when a family is divided, and becomes two families (divorced parents who marry again) or when two families are joined (that couple's daughter marries that couple's son, and the children's brothers and sisters marry into other families) i think "self" is most important. A lot of people hold a lot of the same values as their family members, and their cultures, but one should not hold so many values against their weills as to be trapped within those families and those countries. We need to be our own individual functioning units, and live in families and countries that are right for us, so that we may be a functioning and contributing member of whatever community we choose to join.

Family and country can both be corrupt, and can both be fraught with political issues of their own, especially when a family is divided, and becomes two families (divorced parents who marry again) or when two families are joined (that couple's daughter marries that couple's son, and the children's brothers and sisters marry into other families) i think "self" is most important. A lot of people hold a lot of the same values as their family members, and their cultures, but one should not hold so many values against their weills as to be trapped within those families and those countries. We need to be our own individual functioning units, and live in families and countries that are right for us, so that we may be a functioning and contributing member of whatever community we choose to join.

The members of my family are very important to me. I have a teenage son, a disabled toddler son and a baby daughter. I have a mother, a sister, a brother-in-law, two nephews and two nieces. I like my home country. It has beautiful countryside, some pretty beaches and some amazing looking architecture. It is over crowded and only warm weather is in limited supply. I am very keen on traveling to different countries in the world. I don't believe in war because it can hurt plus kill people. I like peace and being happy.

I believe that family should be placed first and foremost. The country is of course important, there is no doubt about that. But I would definately give priorities to my family no matter what.

Family comes first to me. Always has and always will. I honestly could not care less about the country as a whole. I am not at all patriotic. Don't get me wrong, I love living here but the governments cannot be trusted to look after us, so why should we look after them. The standard of living has gone downhill big time here in my lifetime due to the mismanagement of the governments. I will look after myself and my families interests first!

Both family and country are important for me. But in terms of human nature, family is obviously more important. Generally speaking, families are the closest people of a person in daily life. If someone who doesn't love his or her family, it's quite difficult for him or her to show genuine loyalty to his or her country. The government should not ask its citizens to contribute to the country at the expense of their personal benefits and families. The wise way is to let them realize that preserving the national interest means preserving their own interest.

Hi! They both are very important to me, but I think the family is more important than the country, because how many people say- The country is there, where your family is. And when your family is with you, you feel safer and the country doesn't miss you so much.

My family is important and as well as my country, how will my family survive if my country is in bad shape? Definitely if the time comes that my country needs me, i will go for it, for it will also benefit my family. Even if it cost me my life. My purpose as a human being in this world is much important than personal benefits. But i think taking care of my family not myself is not being selfish. How can i take care of the country if i can't take care of my own family? How can i help a big number of people and a country if i cannot take care a small number of people and that is my family? We can still contribute to the society even if we are so much of a family person. We can pay taxes, we can be a better person, we can help in the development of our country, we can contribute to some social organizations and many more, there are many ways how to be an asset of the society, there are so many ways on how we can help our country. The problem is that some people, are just doing things for themselves only. Sometimes they do not even think of their family. Some people do not know the real purpose of a human being, some people do not know their responsibility to their country. Both sides are important, cause as you see a person will not even do anything good if he looses his family, then how come can he help the country? If a person is very sad, do you expect him/her to be helpful? If he/she is very upset? I do not think so, we cannot force a person to do things if somethings is wrong with him/her. It is like love, how can we know the meaning of love if we ourselves do not know how to love our self? So i think both are important people just need to learn how to budget their time and learn how to help the society in a very little way. People should learn how to cooperate with the government programs. People should study hard so in the long run after their studies they can help their country. Paying taxes is a way of helping the country, teaching nationality can help the country, teaching kids can help the society, development of establishments can help the country, following the law can help the country, being nationalistic can help the country, being a good contributor in the society can help the country, and anything and most important is being a good person can help the country.

Family and country are like our two eyes. We cannot ignore any of these. If you forget your family, who will take care? If you ignore your country, who will look into the country's interests? Though you cannot do anything alone to the country, it is the collection of people like you, who are to look into the development of the country like little drops of water make a mighty ocean. So take care of both family and country. May be if the interests of family is being entrusted to some one who can do their assigned job well, then you can devote yourself completely to the interests of the country.

I would say that both my family and my country is important to me. I have served my country for over two decades. At first, I though that it was a patriotic act. I stood up and was counted. As my personal life changed, with marriage and children, my motivation to serve changed. My patriotism changed to duty to my family and country. Country changed from a idea to the man standing next me...watching my back. Family is important it is the reason I get up in the morning. My country is important, without my country all of this is for not.

It depends on the situation. My first instinct is that I would choose family. I would do whatever I was obligated and able to do for my country but in the long run my family is most important. It would really depend on the situation. To further the betterment of the country I would give whatever I could.

I value my country and I would contribute for the good of all but not at the expense of my family; for me my husband and daughter always come first above all else and that will never change for me. I have the utmost respect for the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country and I know I could not do it. Last year I read about a young woman in the armed forces who had two young children under eight; she accepted a post in Iran and was going to be away for Christmas. I admire her and thank people like her so much because it would not be something I would be prepared to do.

My family and the friends that my family consider part of the family are by far the most important thing to me. My grandparents used to be family with country right behind it, but even they don't care for our country anymore. We see all the problems we are having and see everything going downhill. Its not a pleasant thought, but its what we see and we dont think there is a reason to care so much for it when there is little to nothing we can do to change it. Most people that we know dont agree with us.

country is more important because where you can place your family when there is no country to live in?