Sunday, September 25, 2005
Whatever Makes You Happy!
Before I get to my review on Avant, let’s get this idea out of my head and out in the ether.
Does the quality of one’s life translate into economic wealth?
Yes/no. First, we need to examine the meanings of the terms. And this is where it gets hard. See, all of this is completely subjective. What translates into a higher quality of life for me may not conform to yours. Free will sure does make life interesting, eh? Economic wealth is easily defined: money and things, simply enough.
As far as I can tell, Bill Gates has both quality of life and economic wealth. He and his company donate billions of dollars a year. He may be a ruthless businessman, but hey, it seems to work. And if that’s what makes him happy, it’s understandable that he has considerable wealth and that his company stays at the top of the heap. Evil genius? I doubt it, the guy may be smart, but evil, not even.
But then you’ve got these monks who refuse material wealth and seek a better life. Considering most (if only barely) of you people coming here are Americans, our national mindset generally equates materials with quality of life. So why are these guys and gals so damn content? They’re not wealthy economically, but you can’t deny they’re rich.
What are we doing wrong here? Are we so driven to make a buck we can’t stop and do something that makes us feel good? One could arguably say that if you just stopped and smelled the roses, so to speak, you’d find a way to make that buck turn into two. Sure, you may give that extra dollar away, or maybe half of that dollar, but you still came out ahead, didn’t you? Sit back, relax when you can. Though understand that relaxation isn’t idling (that doesn’t seem to get you anywhere). Be active, be happy, that’s quite a bit more important than making money.
Oh, don’t give me the excuse “but I’ve got mouths to fee”. Sure, you very well may, but won’t it make you happy to ensure that your wife and kids have as good a life as possible? I don’t expect everybody out there to run off to the mountains and reach nirvana.
You need a day off. Who knows, maybe you’ll come out ahead financially. But how much does that matter in the long run. You can’t take it with you…
Does the quality of one’s life translate into economic wealth?
Yes/no. First, we need to examine the meanings of the terms. And this is where it gets hard. See, all of this is completely subjective. What translates into a higher quality of life for me may not conform to yours. Free will sure does make life interesting, eh? Economic wealth is easily defined: money and things, simply enough.
As far as I can tell, Bill Gates has both quality of life and economic wealth. He and his company donate billions of dollars a year. He may be a ruthless businessman, but hey, it seems to work. And if that’s what makes him happy, it’s understandable that he has considerable wealth and that his company stays at the top of the heap. Evil genius? I doubt it, the guy may be smart, but evil, not even.
But then you’ve got these monks who refuse material wealth and seek a better life. Considering most (if only barely) of you people coming here are Americans, our national mindset generally equates materials with quality of life. So why are these guys and gals so damn content? They’re not wealthy economically, but you can’t deny they’re rich.
What are we doing wrong here? Are we so driven to make a buck we can’t stop and do something that makes us feel good? One could arguably say that if you just stopped and smelled the roses, so to speak, you’d find a way to make that buck turn into two. Sure, you may give that extra dollar away, or maybe half of that dollar, but you still came out ahead, didn’t you? Sit back, relax when you can. Though understand that relaxation isn’t idling (that doesn’t seem to get you anywhere). Be active, be happy, that’s quite a bit more important than making money.
Oh, don’t give me the excuse “but I’ve got mouths to fee”. Sure, you very well may, but won’t it make you happy to ensure that your wife and kids have as good a life as possible? I don’t expect everybody out there to run off to the mountains and reach nirvana.
You need a day off. Who knows, maybe you’ll come out ahead financially. But how much does that matter in the long run. You can’t take it with you…
