By desiring little, a poor man makes himself rich. – Democritus
Is this what it takes for you to feel rich?
What does that mean?
Once again, we start with a quote that has been translated from another language, and many liberties will be taken by this author as to what might have been the meaning behind the original words, as translated by another. Your mileage may vary.
Well, don’t we first have to define “rich” to start the discussion? What do YOU need before you consider yourself rich? Most people in the so-called first world will name an arbitrarily large sum of cash or items of value (expensive cars, a mansion or a plane).
To some people in the developing world, even the poorest of people in the first world are rich, almost beyond their imagination. And in all regions of the world, there is a sufficient difference between the poorest and richest members of any society that some would call them rich. A few will talk of spiritual or emotional richness, such as a good life, their health, their friends and family.
So what really makes someone “rich”? I would argue that the definition of rich is having that which you desire. Be it wealth, health, or happiness, humans are rarely satisfied with what we have, and seem to always want more. This discontent has driven the best of mankind and the worst, from medical breakthroughs to devastating wars, from the greatest compassion to the most vile greed, it can be argued that this is the power that drives all of the human existence.
Why is contentment important?
I don’t know, perhaps discontentment just stinks. Well, isn’t asking the question like asking why is air important? While discontentment has it’s place as a motivational tool, it isn’t where you want to spend most of your time. But so far, all we’ve done is define contentment by it’s opposite. Turning to thefreedictionary.com, we find that the second definition of content is “Desiring no more than what one has; satisfied.”
So, is this starting to come together? Being content, one desires no more; by desiring little, one can be satisfied. Ok, perhaps it sounds like a stretch to those comfortably ensconced in the first world, but many first worlders are amazed at how happy, content and wealthy many disadvantaged people are around the globe.
Mother Teresa commented on how happy many of the people in the slums of Calcutta, one of the most impoverished areas in the world at the time. They had friends and family, and for many, that was enough to be content. For most first worlders, the word rich has connotations relating to monetary wealth.
But let us remember that many other things can be described as rich. Fertile farmland is rich. Having an abundant supply of almost anything, such as saying a country has rich lodes of ore or rich in ideas. Foods heavy in fat and/or sugar have been described as rich, as in rich foods. It has been used to mean full or full-bodied, as in a rich wine or coffee. Even colors have been described as rich. Rich can be used to indicate abundance, or having ample, and perhaps by extension, being content.
Where can I apply this in my life?
To me, it’s not so much contentment as the avoidance of discontentment which is important. I use both to motivate me in many areas of my life. In the case of the quote, I think that he was saying that we shouldn’t be trying to “keep up with the Joneses,” nearly two and a half millennia before it became popular. Stated in the reverse, the quickest way to feel poor is to desire much. Does that make more sense?
While it’s great to reach for the stars, where in your life are you going overboard? Perhaps you REALLY want a Rolls Royce or a Bugatti Veyron. You need a certain lifestyle to acquire and maintain that car. Dream if you like, but don’t obsess over it, unless you’re willing and able to find or make a path to that level of wealth.
Perhaps you are always wanting the latest purse or tool or gadget or piece of tech (guilty on two counts). As long as it is just wanting, it probably doesn’t qualify, but if you are obsessing over these things, you probably won’t be happy until you have one. By extension, you’ll never truly be happy, as you are always desiring more.
I’m often amazed by what my parents and grandparents were content with, what level of living they considered ‘rich,’ as I surpassed that before I was 40, but still consider myself only reasonably well off. Well, at least when I consider my material possessions.
I have more than enough stuff, but want more. I just try not to obsess over it. Instead I try to focus on the things that don’t take money. Friends, family, long walks and quiet evenings are the core of it. Sometimes just a nice warm cup of tea (and a quiet house) are sufficient to get me out of bed before everyone else.
You will have to make decisions based on your standards of wealth, both material and spiritual. You will also have to self-evaluate what your level of obsession with trinkets might be. Desire less, and become wealthier in your own eyes. For in the end, that is the only true measure.
And my reasoning? I hope that Democritus wouldn’t scoff at it.
From: Twitter, undocumented feed (my bad)
confirmed at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/democritus154881.html
Photo by Julien Haler
