[openeyes]

To me, the feeling of abundance is one of having all that I need/not needing anything. If wants will always increase, reaching out to satisfy them doesn’t really seem to work. It’s just a growing cancer that need be excised. Some books get into this, such as The Myth of Freedom and the Way of Meditation by Pema Chodron’s Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa.

There’s nothing wrong with seeking quality products, particularly as an adjunct to mass consumerism. If one would have to continually buy new $100 dress shoes, while a $300 pair could last a lifetime, materially and financially it’d be better to spring for the $300 pair. There’s often a happy medium between cheap crap and something that is simply meant to be a sign of wealth. No one needs a Rolex, except to present a certain image or feel better about themselves (and wouldn’t personal/spiritual growth demand getting that self-worth from within?). The medium would be something that serves its purpose well and lasts for as long as needed, without undue expense.

One of my uncles lives by the Golden Gate bridge in Marin county, and though he’s likely easily worth 7+ figures, he spends his month off each year working with a friend’s non-profit helping Nepali children receive education, and when he’s home he opts to ride his bike, catch a bus, or paddle his shell to where he’s going rather than drive. Rather than leading a life of wanton consumption he opts for a more holistic lifestyle, adopting rescue animals rather than buying a pedigree, and wearing comfortable clothes that could likely be had for less than $100 rather than Armani. He and his family are among the happiest, most productive people I know, enjoying their work more than what it enables them to buy. From everything I read, people who become rich due it because they love the work itself, with money not serving as sufficient motivation.

I wouldn’t have Bill Gates live in a bad part of town with a clunky car, but why not a well cared for home with a few hundred square feet per inhabitant, maybe 1000 sq ft in total, a bicycle for most trips, and a reliable Toyota Camry if he feels a need for a car on occasion?

I do remember experiencing a great deal of gratitude upon flying first class as a gift, and feeling that all seats should be so nice. The only reservation I would have about that now is increased fuel use per person. Find a way to do it without additional stress on the environment and I may be all for it. The same for big homes. If they can be built with sustainable materials and not require heating or cooling with fossil fuels, fine. In general I prefer things small and simple. To me simplicity is a wonderful luxury in itself.

One more thing: if someone needs a $10,000 night at a hotel to motivate him to do his job, maybe he's in the wrong field.