I agree with the comment about "a bit of column a, a bit of column b" By default we are immersed purely in illusion. I'm sure you have your own mental image o

I agree with the comment about "a bit of column a, a bit of column b" By default we are immersed purely in illusion. I'm sure you have your own mental image of a person who is entirely immersed in the illusions presented by media etc etc. Often these illusions are driven by needs/wants which are interpreted as all being needs. Full Buddhist perspective is that all but the most basic for survival are wants, not needs, but that is at odds with capitalism and the survival of the species. If we don't have some way of technological advancement, we may live happy simple lives, but eventually something cosmic will happen that the species can't handle and thats it. With technology that can change, which is where capitalism comes in. Capitalism reminds that in the bigger picture, there is a need for anything the helps survival. Given that, at least personally what I take away is, capitalism motivates us to do things we don't "need" to do, but may be very important one day. To the extreme, it implies that everything is needed and anything short of perfect may as well be death. The other side of the coin is nice but vulnerable. Together - use mindfulness to stay rational and aware - and pay attention to capitalism to understand and situate yourself into the future. Together they are quite powerful - I feel I live a pretty happy life enjoying the benefits of both. TL;DR stress motivates, but sucks. mindfulness is good but doesn't build the future. together in the right balance they're amazingly powerful