“Bad men live so that they may eat and drink; good men eat and drink so that they may live.”
Socrates
It is as if the Epicurean motto nearly resonate the words of Socrates. Their motto is: “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die”. This is also known as hedonism, the philosophy of the good life. Should we live a life where we just eat and drink and possess as much as we can? Seneca had the following to say about our consumptive behaviour: “The moderation which nature prescribes, which limits our desires by resources restricted to our needs, has abandoned the field; it has now come to this – to want only what is enough is a sign both of boorishness and of destitution.“
It is true that we as humans easily fall into the so-called “comparison trap” when we compare ourselves and our possessions with that of others. Our basic needs may be few, but our daily wants are never-ending. Let’s take this thought a bit further. Herbert Marcuse was of the opinion that the consumer society and the politics of corporate capitalism created a second nature of humanity, tying us aggressively to the commodity form. The need for possessing, consuming, handling and constantly renewing the gadgets, devices and instruments offered to and imposed upon us, has become a “biological” need (even if the use of these gadgets, devices and instruments are threatening our own destruction).
We need to (if you want to) differentiate between what we really NEED and what we simply WANT. The first-century Romano-British monk, Pelagius, had the insight at that time to say that if it is a necessity, it is not a sin; but if it is optional, then it can be avoided. Ask yourself today, do you live to possess, or do you possess to live?
Is this what you need, or is it merely something you want?
Come on, confide in me, I will be your confidant.
Oh, let me then give you some good advice!
What’s of necessity, should always take the greatest slice.
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