We all want. We all need. When want overpowers need, our perspective gets skewed. I say, want all you want - wanting motivates. However, need very little and you will almost always be satisfied.
If one wants is entirely material. Agree 100% I find too many ppl in the Western world just want things. They also complain with their mouth full. It frustrates me and I include my Western needs as well. The happiest ppl I've met were also the poorest in material things. Our world is screwed up. Lost what's important in life. The power of the subconscience mind! Dreams are made to come true!
My daughter and I talk about this topic a lot. She's 9 and always wanting something. I try to steer her away from consumerism and materialism... it's a constant effort and sometimes, I think, futile. But she does see the value in 'doing' over 'getting' (some days, anyway) and I really believe that when she's older, my efforts will pay off.
my 10 year old could jump start the economy alone it seems - he wants is his mantra - in lock step with 'mom... I NEED " and it is usually something I had no idea even existed. I am not much of a shopper so he goes to his dad - the commerce director.
“Need very little and you will almost always be satisfied.”
Yes, but then you don't buy the shiny new car. Enough others think like you and General Motors goes out of business. The whole house of cards collapses.
I remember clearly in 1949, when the last rationing was ended in England, reading advertisements in National Geographic magazine from USA: full-page colour ones for Coca-Cola; small black-and-white ones for Hammond organs and boxed sets of cutlery designed as future family heirlooms.
Here, there were still bomb-sites where dwellings had been destroyed and not yet rebuilt; some children were still going to school without shoes. The satisfaction of wants was an enticing dream which took the mind away from tedious needs, and still does in some parts of the world.
But now in England needs are automatically filled by a kindly government, so that no-one goes hungry or homeless (in theory). Needs are catered for mainly by imports: nearly everyone's job depends on wants: especially creating those wants through relentless propaganda.
Fear of unemployment and economic collapse is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The only way out is via the “stimulus”---to be persuaded to go out and spend as before. But we don’t want to do that, so the economy collapses.
Marketing and production have been made ever more efficient, without regard to the poisonous effect on souls of efficiency pursued for its own sake.
This efficiency means that there’s not enough jobs to go round satisfying needs. Wants must be cultivated. Wants rule the economy. Except in those countries where you have to walk miles to fetch water.
Fortunately Nature itself, or some supra-human intelligence, has risen up in disgust to blow down the house of cards.
Pauline, good post. My own feeling is that when our minds are so completely engaged in endeavors to satisfy material wants, we sacrifice the space, creativity, and imagination to contemplate who we are and the special (and more abiding) joys of well-maintained relationships and spiritual comforts. Again, great post.
HHB - wanting something in and of itself is not wrong. It's what we do to get what we want, all the while persuading ourselves that we need it so any means justifies the end.
I agree, Roberta - I don't like the trade-off
RDM - that's why the "simplify, simplify!" crowd is in business now ;)
Vincent - I like the way it made you think. Your post is most interesting. Link on!
Barbara - I think most folks' wants and needs change over time. It's the act of making a want into a need that often trips us up...
Hi Pauline ~~ Stopped by to say thanks for visiting my Pink Post today.
I love the graphics of the cartoon and it holds great meaning for me as we realized long ago, that our needs are very small, and we can do well on little.... The Wants get in the way all the time, but as you said satifaction comes with little ~~ Headaches come with much.
17 comments:
If one wants is entirely material. Agree 100% I find too many ppl in the Western world just want things. They also complain with their mouth full.
It frustrates me and I include my Western needs as well. The happiest ppl I've met were also the poorest in material things.
Our world is screwed up. Lost what's important in life.
The power of the subconscience mind! Dreams are made to come true!
I didn't know u had skills at drawing! Eh! Eh!
My daughter and I talk about this topic a lot. She's 9 and always wanting something. I try to steer her away from consumerism and materialism... it's a constant effort and sometimes, I think, futile. But she does see the value in 'doing' over 'getting' (some days, anyway) and I really believe that when she's older, my efforts will pay off.
eleni, I agree, we've lost sight of what's most important in this life... at least, what's important to me (and you)
diane - it's an effort because our whole society is geared to wanting and getting and having. We need to change that somehow...
my 10 year old could jump start the economy alone it seems - he wants is his mantra - in lock step with 'mom... I NEED " and it is usually something I had no idea even existed. I am not much of a shopper so he goes to his dad - the commerce director.
“Need very little and you will almost always be satisfied.”
Yes, but then you don't buy the shiny new car. Enough others think like you and General Motors goes out of business. The whole house of cards collapses.
I remember clearly in 1949, when the last rationing was ended in England, reading advertisements in National Geographic magazine from USA: full-page colour ones for Coca-Cola; small black-and-white ones for Hammond organs and boxed sets of cutlery designed as future family heirlooms.
Here, there were still bomb-sites where dwellings had been destroyed and not yet rebuilt; some children were still going to school without shoes. The satisfaction of wants was an enticing dream which took the mind away from tedious needs, and still does in some parts of the world.
But now in England needs are automatically filled by a kindly government, so that no-one goes hungry or homeless (in theory). Needs are catered for mainly by imports: nearly everyone's job depends on wants: especially creating those wants through relentless propaganda.
Fear of unemployment and economic collapse is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The only way out is via the “stimulus”---to be persuaded to go out and spend as before. But we don’t want to do that, so the economy collapses.
Marketing and production have been made ever more efficient, without regard to the poisonous effect on souls of efficiency pursued for its own sake.
This efficiency means that there’s not enough jobs to go round satisfying needs. Wants must be cultivated. Wants rule the economy. Except in those countries where you have to walk miles to fetch water.
Fortunately Nature itself, or some supra-human intelligence, has risen up in disgust to blow down the house of cards.
I find that I want far less as I get older. And the nature of my wants has changed. But then the nature of my needs has changed too.
Good philosophy!
Your post has inspired my latest, Pauline. Hope it's OK to mention you and link from it back to here. If not let me know & I'll edit.
So true Pauline!
amen, sistah.
i've a garage full of 'wants' that are apparently not NEEDS. like rabbits they've multiplied and taken over the space.
my wants these days are more intrinsic: love, affection, touch, companionship, friend and lover. but even here are 'needy' traps.
i've been thinking 'commune or convent' ...
;)
xoxo
rdm
Pauline, good post. My own feeling is that when our minds are so completely engaged in endeavors to satisfy material wants, we sacrifice the space, creativity, and imagination to contemplate who we are and the special (and more abiding) joys of well-maintained relationships and spiritual comforts. Again, great post.
Maybe we are all rushing around so much, that all we think about is 'wants'. Now I've slowed down a little, the 'wants' become less important.
Thankyou for this P. it will stay with me today.
HHB - wanting something in and of itself is not wrong. It's what we do to get what we want, all the while persuading ourselves that we need it so any means justifies the end.
I agree, Roberta - I don't like the trade-off
RDM - that's why the "simplify, simplify!" crowd is in business now ;)
Vincent - I like the way it made you think. Your post is most interesting. Link on!
Barbara - I think most folks' wants and needs change over time. It's the act of making a want into a need that often trips us up...
Hi Meggie :)
Hi Pauline ~~ Stopped by to say thanks for visiting my Pink Post today.
I love the graphics of the cartoon and it holds great meaning for me as we realized long ago, that our needs are very small, and we can do well on little.... The Wants get in the way all the time, but as you said satifaction comes with little ~~ Headaches come with much.
A new friend
Wanda
I will be back...
I knew there would be heaps of good hearted comments on this post.
One of my fav, and a quote that very much leads me, is from Winston Churchill I think:
From what we get,
we make a living;
what we give, however,
makes a life.
Yo!
That is some good advice! Amen
Given time, what you need ironically might just turn out to be what you want.
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