3 ms·

> number of people who'd accept a relatively comfortable life Congratulations to those who have achieved that level of spiritual enlightenment. Of course we "

> number of people who'd accept a relatively comfortable life Congratulations to those who have achieved that level of spiritual enlightenment. Of course we "accept" what we have since it is what we have. What you're gonna do file a complaint? People in need think they would be more than happy to "accept" a "relatively comfortable life". Who wouldn't? The point is the word "relatively". Once they achieve that level then relatively happy will mean the next thing.

germinalphrase 5y ago
That “having enough” requires enlightenment speaks volumes about our cultural disease.
- gretch 5y ago
  Why is it necessarily a disease and not a natural part of the human condition? It seems to me like if we were the sort of beings to say “this is enough”, we would have never made it out of hunter-gatherer.
  - beaconstudios 5y ago
    Ambition and curiosity are separate instincts from greed. If you think all innovation comes from greed, that itself is a cultural belief and cannot explain the greatest innovators in history like Einstein, Newton, Da Vinci or Tesla. The icon of innovative greed would be someone like Edison who was a profoundly cruel and greedy man who stole the ideas of others more tab he created himself. There's your icon of capitalistic innovation.
dgb23 5y ago
Many would be content with maintaining a sustainable, comfortable life. Today the general worker in developed countries is more productive than 40/50 years ago but gets less for it. Less and less middle class workers can afford to by their own house or apartment and those with lower paying jobs are barely getting by often under harsh conditions. Life should be getting better for all due to overall increase in productivity, but it's getting worse for many or is stagnating, while there are few who have been amassing obscene amounts of wealth and power.
mbrodersen 5y ago
I am one of them. But I don’t consider myself spiritually enlightened. I just realised that I already have more than I need to be happy and content. I used to own an expensive sports car but sold it because it wasn’t practical and didn’t bring me any additional happiness. Quite the opposite. I learned a lot from that.

germinalphrase 5y ago

That “having enough” requires enlightenment speaks volumes about our cultural disease.

gretch 5y ago
Why is it necessarily a disease and not a natural part of the human condition? It seems to me like if we were the sort of beings to say “this is enough”, we would have never made it out of hunter-gatherer.
- beaconstudios 5y ago
  Ambition and curiosity are separate instincts from greed. If you think all innovation comes from greed, that itself is a cultural belief and cannot explain the greatest innovators in history like Einstein, Newton, Da Vinci or Tesla. The icon of innovative greed would be someone like Edison who was a profoundly cruel and greedy man who stole the ideas of others more tab he created himself. There's your icon of capitalistic innovation.

dgb23 5y ago

Many would be content with maintaining a sustainable, comfortable life. Today the general worker in developed countries is more productive than 40/50 years ago but gets less for it. Less and less middle class workers can afford to by their own house or apartment and those with lower paying jobs are barely getting by often under harsh conditions. Life should be getting better for all due to overall increase in productivity, but it's getting worse for many or is stagnating, while there are few who have been amassing obscene amounts of wealth and power.

mbrodersen 5y ago

I am one of them. But I don’t consider myself spiritually enlightened. I just realised that I already have more than I need to be happy and content. I used to own an expensive sports car but sold it because it wasn’t practical and didn’t bring me any additional happiness. Quite the opposite. I learned a lot from that.