A comment posted by me prompted a gentleman to take the trouble to reply:
Post in thread 'I tried out the iPad 10th Gen - actually like it!'
I would like to elaborate on my comment, but to avoid straying too much from OP's topic, I opened a new thread.
Just to be clear, I do not condemn those to whom a life in abundance is an ideal, nor did I raise the topic of sufficiency as a recommendation. We all live our lives the way we think is best, and rightfully so. I believe however that sufficiency will become humanity’s way forward, and this shift will in part be made possible by understanding how and why this yearning for abundance is happening to man.
Animals compete instinctively for survival. For animals, fear is a natural foundation to compete for food. But in man, who is a sophisticated animal, fear is not just a ground for competitiveness, but also for greed.
Like man’s competitiveness, his yearning for abundance too is founded on fear. Out of fear, man seeks abundance to conquer his fear, but by trying to overcome fear by seeking abundance he only strengthens his fear.
Not that I think that being competitive is wrong, but I do think it is testament to superficial understanding. Our bodies and fear may have evolved from animal, but unlike an animal, a human being is a soul in incarnation. As man’s understanding of his purpose in life deepens, an awareness will grow that will turn his fear into trust and also his competitive reaction to life into a deeply felt willingness to co-operate.
Fear divides. But there’s unity in diversity. Hence, we are against life if we live in fear. For reasons of ignorance as to what right relationship with life is, we have a very divided world where resources are extremely unequal available, and fear and competition rather than trust and co-operation reigns.
Trust unites. Which makes it reassuring to recognize that ever more people understand that humanity can and will rid itself from fear and many of the dangers of competition, division and inequality, not by pursuing abundance to creating false safe harbors, but by choosing to co-operate and share the resources of the world.
Post in thread 'I tried out the iPad 10th Gen - actually like it!'
I would like to elaborate on my comment, but to avoid straying too much from OP's topic, I opened a new thread.
Just to be clear, I do not condemn those to whom a life in abundance is an ideal, nor did I raise the topic of sufficiency as a recommendation. We all live our lives the way we think is best, and rightfully so. I believe however that sufficiency will become humanity’s way forward, and this shift will in part be made possible by understanding how and why this yearning for abundance is happening to man.
Animals compete instinctively for survival. For animals, fear is a natural foundation to compete for food. But in man, who is a sophisticated animal, fear is not just a ground for competitiveness, but also for greed.
Like man’s competitiveness, his yearning for abundance too is founded on fear. Out of fear, man seeks abundance to conquer his fear, but by trying to overcome fear by seeking abundance he only strengthens his fear.
Not that I think that being competitive is wrong, but I do think it is testament to superficial understanding. Our bodies and fear may have evolved from animal, but unlike an animal, a human being is a soul in incarnation. As man’s understanding of his purpose in life deepens, an awareness will grow that will turn his fear into trust and also his competitive reaction to life into a deeply felt willingness to co-operate.
Fear divides. But there’s unity in diversity. Hence, we are against life if we live in fear. For reasons of ignorance as to what right relationship with life is, we have a very divided world where resources are extremely unequal available, and fear and competition rather than trust and co-operation reigns.
Trust unites. Which makes it reassuring to recognize that ever more people understand that humanity can and will rid itself from fear and many of the dangers of competition, division and inequality, not by pursuing abundance to creating false safe harbors, but by choosing to co-operate and share the resources of the world.