louisgray.com: louisgray.com: Is Simplicity the Silver Lining?
patrick24601
· 1 year ago
Interesting observations. The idea of making our lives simpler is very appealing, but I really don't believe it is ever going to happen. It just does not seem in our nature as a race. We are very good at making this faster and more complicated. Simpler is a word we just don't seem to get.
ChangeForge | Ken Stewart
· 1 year ago
Patrick, I do wonder if you are correct. I am in a position to have some say-so on how "simple" I make things, but this does not mean I can wholly abandon everything and live in a hut on the beach - nor would I ultimately want to.
One of my first blog posts was based around a concept that humans require a lot of pain or a lot of pleasure to make bold and/or dramatic changes. Pleasure is often subject to the ideas of an economic principal of diminishing returns; by this I mean people require more and more input of positive reinforcement to see the same results as the initial input.
Pain, however, is a uniquely different thing. It is almost required in our genetic makeup to remember all types of pain, thus we are uniquely designed to quickly react to avoid future amounts of pain, and often define ourselves by the hardships we have experienced.
I think I am most against these bailout packages for that reason... The government is attempting to soften what they feel would be an almost utter collapse. However, this reminds me of a parent who consistently rescues their child from a dangerous drug addiction only to find they keep going back.
Sometimes, we have to allow pain to be the teacher, but in this recession there seem to be a lot of collateral damage while those who created the mess are positioning to again profit at others' expense.
This is of course, my humble opinion.
philbaumann
· 1 year ago
Ken -
I think simplicity is a silver lining. (What I nice meme for our time!)
Isn't part of what got us into this mess (which has been building up for well over 30 years) related to our inability to be happy with ourselves? I'm pretty much a free-market pro-capitalist guy, but we all need spiritual discipline. I think America has lost its discipline: we're all too easily taken in by material things; in the process of acquiring things we can't actually afford, we have increasingly isolated ourselves ever more. Which creates a greater desire for satisfaction in things. A dangerous cycle.
If you value your integrity and not your things, this Second Long Depression (1873-1896) won't be the traumatic horror that it could be. Those of us who are willing to value friendship, family, discipline and the wealth developed of the the long-term will be the ones who will thrive.
Right now, America is undergoing a sort of PTSD: we're at the beginning stages (Shock & Denial). This past Fall was surreal, wasn't it? It still is. It's going to take a while until we all understand where we are, so that we can better gauge where we're going. In the meantime, expect a lot of panic, anxiety, depression and fear among us.
Simplicity isn't scarcity or poverty. I take simplicity to mean: being mindful of yourself and your surroundings; opening up your eyes to the wonder of ordinary things; practicing the discipline of taming your whims. (A clear mind is a rich mind.)
Thank you for an uplifting post, Ken.
Phil
ChangeForge | Ken Stewart
· 1 year ago
Very well said, Phil. But first we must be mature in our desires and ability to control them. Much like a child thinks a crush is love, we have allowed ourselves to become materialistically rich and spiritually poor. Even as I sit here typing this, I now remember to be thankful for every key I strike and thought I have been given.
It does indeed taking discipline to tame your whim.
Thank you for the compliment. Stay tuned, I'm working up a story about my families last Christmas - a time when we really figured out what rich and poor meant.
philbaumann
· 1 year ago
Now is a good time for more Americans to learn meditation. I look forward to your upcoming post.
All Comments
One of my first blog posts was based around a concept that humans require a lot of pain or a lot of pleasure to make bold and/or dramatic changes. Pleasure is often subject to the ideas of an economic principal of diminishing returns; by this I mean people require more and more input of positive reinforcement to see the same results as the initial input.
Pain, however, is a uniquely different thing. It is almost required in our genetic makeup to remember all types of pain, thus we are uniquely designed to quickly react to avoid future amounts of pain, and often define ourselves by the hardships we have experienced.
I think I am most against these bailout packages for that reason... The government is attempting to soften what they feel would be an almost utter collapse. However, this reminds me of a parent who consistently rescues their child from a dangerous drug addiction only to find they keep going back.
Sometimes, we have to allow pain to be the teacher, but in this recession there seem to be a lot of collateral damage while those who created the mess are positioning to again profit at others' expense.
This is of course, my humble opinion.
I think simplicity is a silver lining. (What I nice meme for our time!)
Isn't part of what got us into this mess (which has been building up for well over 30 years) related to our inability to be happy with ourselves? I'm pretty much a free-market pro-capitalist guy, but we all need spiritual discipline. I think America has lost its discipline: we're all too easily taken in by material things; in the process of acquiring things we can't actually afford, we have increasingly isolated ourselves ever more. Which creates a greater desire for satisfaction in things. A dangerous cycle.
If you value your integrity and not your things, this Second Long Depression (1873-1896) won't be the traumatic horror that it could be. Those of us who are willing to value friendship, family, discipline and the wealth developed of the the long-term will be the ones who will thrive.
Right now, America is undergoing a sort of PTSD: we're at the beginning stages (Shock & Denial). This past Fall was surreal, wasn't it? It still is. It's going to take a while until we all understand where we are, so that we can better gauge where we're going. In the meantime, expect a lot of panic, anxiety, depression and fear among us.
Simplicity isn't scarcity or poverty. I take simplicity to mean: being mindful of yourself and your surroundings; opening up your eyes to the wonder of ordinary things; practicing the discipline of taming your whims. (A clear mind is a rich mind.)
Thank you for an uplifting post, Ken.
Phil
It does indeed taking discipline to tame your whim.
Thank you for the compliment. Stay tuned, I'm working up a story about my families last Christmas - a time when we really figured out what rich and poor meant.
I look forward to your upcoming post.