ERE, I had the same thoughts about 'nothing new', and after reading it there really was not much new... maybe a spin on an existing idea or two. But reading it strengthened the argument and generated momentum in the direction of gaining life experiences. The default is to keep doing the same thing, and when you have a stash and only so many years, it's easy to keep doing your standard thing. Getting a little energy from reading the book was a good thing, I think.
Yes. I see how a reminder of these basic truths can be helpful. It's easy to get into habits that dull your sense of life. Reading the thread has served that purpose for me -- it's jump-started my pondering. Thank you to those who've participated.
I've realized two things so far.
First is that I need to identify the experiences that
I value, because when I listen to activities listed by others (e.g., big vacations, home additions, expensive restaurants, vehicles, etc.), they don't interest or inspire me. I need to spend time identifying the experiences that are meaningful and satisfying to
me.
I'm fortunate that I've kept a journal since age 18, and from that journal, I've distilled a 40-some page document that describes my best moments from each year. It's a wonderful way to re-vivify events that would otherwise be forgotten. I've often thought that if my house were to catch on fire, this would be one of the first things I'd rescue. I've been re-reading that document this afternoon, as a way of helping me identify what sort of experiences matter to me. Literature, ideas, nature, music, and love standout (although the "love" part is a little iffy, since the entries I'm reading at the moment are from my 20's, when I was full of hormones).
The second thing I realized is that the word "happiness" seems too pale to describe the sorts of experiences I'm thinking of. I have trouble finding the words, but to me, "meaningful," "deep," "powerful," or "enriching" get at it better. "Happiness" (even in its "eudamonia" forms) sounds pretty much equivalent to pleasant feelings. Those are good, of course, but to me, life is about more than pleasant feelings. Some of my best experiences have not been "happy happy joy joy" moments, but filled with complex feelings and ideas.
I hope that didn't sound pretentious. I'm just trying to make the point that, for me, the "experience" question is a tricky one.
I know you have an interest in stoicism. That's another example. I got more satisfaction from reading Seneca's Letters to a Stoic than I would from a dozen cruises. That is the sort of "experience" I'm thinking of. Well, that's the rational half, anyway. There is also a more artistic/experiential/spiritual half. But I'm rattling on...
I can so relate to this. It’s hard for me to find anything that costs lots a money that I really like. I also have done the cheaper alternative to many things for so long it seems unnecessary to spend the money. For example I like to read, but while I occasionally buy a book most I download from the library. Or I could easily afford to dry clothes in the dryer, but I enjoy hanging them out…which I did this morning ��. People around me tend to read those things negatively and feel I should live a little, but I like my quiet interverted life.
Yeah, it's tough to reverse a lifelong course of simple living. To be honest, I don't want to. One of the secrets of contentment is to not let your "wants" expand. So why expand them?
To me, though, simple living (simplicity, minimalism) is not about saving money. I buy books all the time. I throw many of them away half-read. I waste money on dumb stuff all the time, and I don't sweat it. To me, simple living is less about saving money and more about unplugging from a materialistic society that programs people to think in terms of consuming and buying. It is about getting out of a materialist/consumer mindset and freeing up time for what really matters.
Even so, regardless of how many books or music CDs I buy, or how many off-the-wall purchases I make, I don't make a dent in my savings. It's all small potatoes, and my portfolio is growing by leaps and bounds. Which is a good problem to have.
The only big-ticket items I can think of are 1) a newer home in a nicer neighborhood, and 2) a truck and camper rig that would enable me to do some camping. I haven't pulled the trigger on either of those yet, though.
. People around me tend to read those things negatively and feel I should live a little, but I like my quiet interverted life.
