Are You Getting Enough?

[Zuiko]

somethingMegabillboards

[Guest]

Re: Are You Getting Enough?

Oh dear - John's in that mood again

It's too late to seriously consider his points but can I say I see nothing wrong with a fifth pint - but I'll pass on the cream cakes if it's all the same to you.

Nick

[Zuiko]

Re: Are You Getting Enough?

Oh dear - John's in that mood again

It's too late to seriously consider his points but can I say I see nothing wrong with a fifth pint - but I'll pass on the cream cakes if it's all the same to you.

Nick

Serious? Who said anything about being serious?

[Trausti Hraunfjord]

Re: Are You Getting Enough?

It's human nature, as far as the good things in life are concerned we always want more.

Actually:No.

It's not "human nature", but in the capitalist parts of the world, we have been raised up to think that it is.

It is simply an indoctrination of greed, put there by those who want to control our wealth, in order to get wealthier themselves.

I too, thought it was "human nature"... until I visited the Amazon jungle the first time, and spent time with native indians, who ARE natural in every way, free from industrialized/capitalistic brainwashing. It struck me incredibly hard, how genuinly happy the people were... they had literally "nothing"... (seen with my western culture(less) eyes) yet they were the happiest people I had ever been around. When collecting fruits/roots/fishing or hunting with them, it was about taking only what was needed, and nothing more. Shooting a monkey down from a tree where there were other monkeys available for food as well, was enough. Just one, and not the "I want more" killing-spree one expects from western "hunters".

So my view on what is "human nature", has been corrected, and I know that when I "want" something I really don't need, it is due to greed, and not natural human nature.

Probably hard for people who have not experienced this first hand, to understand it... it was for me... but it really put the cultures of greed into right perspective.

... now ... if only E-5 was here already... I would love to have it... and a few lenses too... and a ....

[EH1]

Re: Are You Getting Enough?

[QUOTE=Zuiko;47875] Most men dream of marrying a nymphomaniac but think of the state they'd be in by their first anniversary!
...........They would probably have lost a couple of stone!

[Guest]

Re: Are You Getting Enough?

Well it's all about poverty - and unfortunately we've all conspired together to become very poor (and I'm not talking about the current economic blip, that's just a symptom). Our poverty is in terms of 'self worth' and achievement.

A few night ago (somewhere between the third and fifth pints) discussion turned (somehow) to our first proper bicycles. Now in this disparate group it turned out all our first bikes had either been bought on Hire Purchase (the never never, tally etc) or through a shop/church christmas club. They represented a signifigant part of our parents annual 'discretionary' spend. In no case was this point laboured but, kids pick up on things, we had all known that they were valuable, should be cared for, were special. And from the point of view of our parents their purchase represented a considerable achievement, committment over time and sacrifice. So the bicycle had far more 'worth' within both the family and the community than the monetary cost or number of gears.

The same point could be made about camera gear. If it took six months or more of careful saving (maybe missing out on pints altogether and always walking to work). Then getting the camera became an achievement, ownership itself conveyed a sense of both your and its worth. As a comcomitant we expected the manufacturer to take the same pride, that camera should last ten or fifteen years.

Credit card purchases don't have the same value. Everything vanishes into the same big pot of anonymous debt. We still crave the satisfaction of ownership but we've removed the sense of effort/worth/committment which validates and sustains it.

The same applies to basic goods - as a hunter/gatherer Tesco represents a really cr@p experience. Other than an ability to get 'more' for 'less' what achievement/skill/involvement does it represent, what satisfaction other than quantity can we achieve?.


(oh and don't get me on the subject of food itself - we had beef cattle bred over centuries to produce sweet/tasty meat, then in order to produce more we replaced them with cows from animals bred to haul ploughs, lots of meat, no taste or satisfaction except in quantity (and of course curries)).

I wonder what we would have talked about if we had been eating cream cakes?

Nick

[Guest]

Re: Are You Getting Enough?

[quote=EH1;47923]

Most men dream of marrying a nymphomaniac but think of the state they'd be in by their first anniversary!
...........They would probably have lost a couple of stone!

They would probably also have lost the nymphomaniac, at least in terms of exclusivity.

Nick

[davidr]

Re: Are You Getting Enough?

So is there anything in life where more of the same has an unlimited benefit?

Power, all people with power want more Power! Especially politicians, but then again that doesnt have an unlimited benefit, the higher they rise, the deeper they fall.

[theMusicMan]

Re: Are You Getting Enough?

Power, all people with power want more Power! Especially politicians, but then again that doesnt have an unlimited benefit, the higher they rise, the deeper they fall.

Good comment David. Can't recall exactly, some Baron... but who was it who said... "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

[Zuiko]

Re: Are You Getting Enough?

Good comment David. Can't recall exactly, some Baron... but who was it who said... "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

How very true. Shades of that starting to show in Parliament and the police force.........