Gary .... old words from old guys from ancient Greece and Gary ... great combo that proves everything old CAN be new again. I really liked this piece - longer than the ones I usually read (sorry, sometimes you are too professorial for my available bandwidth, but this one caught my and kept my attention. I'll be forwarding it to some people. Cheers, Mark
Thanks, Mark. I actually edited it down earlier this morning and glad it caught and kept you long enough to get through it. You are a good model for brevity being better.
Goodness, Gary, perfect topic for me today. I have been thinking a lot of the phrase “waste not, want not” as I eat leftovers for lunch. Also, I have come to the realization that I dislike being told what to do. Even when it might benefit me, it’s hard to accept someone else’s direction—however lovingly it may be offered.
Oh my goodness! I took out the part about not liking being told what to do and that there are many who know me who can attest to that. I was one who started questioning authority early on and my parents, were they still alive, could tell you many stories. And then there were the teachers, coaches and professors, colleagues and others. I earned the titles contrarian and rebel. My former colleagues at leadershipanddesign.org awarded me the honorific title of "Resident Rebel" last years superseding my former title "Of Counsel"
I so appreciate this contrast that you point out Gary:
SPEND, BUY, WASTE, WANT, BORROW
vs
SAVE, USE, KEEP, HAVE and GIVE
It's one of the reasons we are in the predicament we are in at the moment. I believe more people are recognising and question it, but behaviour change will take time, systems change even longer.
Thanks, Rashmir. Good to see you here. I appreciate you and your presence. You are one who understands the “predicament” and doing what you can to help others take positive actions to make changes for the better.
I read this post yesterday, and I’ve been reflecting over it — some questions that popped up in my head, do you think it’s getting exponentially harder to save, keep, use, have and give in today’s landscape?
I’m unfamiliar with the west, but out here in the global south, the advertisement is often ignored as peripheral noise because most of the laymen know they cannot even afford to think out of their pay check to pay check lifestyle. This lifestyle has no room for saving, being able to keep something long-term (low-quality goods), use long term (again, low quality goods), and hence keep (wear off is very quick), and then give (though I see the people have been doing so despite capacity at their own expense due to a collectivist culture). This form of cycle then leaves them no room but to spend, waste, buy, want and borrow — but with a very different lens because it’s not really influenced by advertising but rather necessity (the cycle is enforced through a different means), if that makes sense?
Thanks. What I have seen, from one end of the spectrum to the other, is that even the poorest of the poor, manage to give something that they have made, raised or grown in exchange for receiving help - this was in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Giving of self comes in many forms. Conspicuous consumption is not an issue when there is little to consume and sometimes not enough. There's much that can be done to help communities raise a standard of living to healthier conditions such as bringing solar power to remote places, providing clean, safe water and sanitation in cooperation with local NGO's and helping to educate both kids and adults to be able to read and write for self-empowerment. What I see that dominates the industrialized nations is industry and the concern about GDP instead of GHI that I wrote about in an earlier post. "Happiness Is...."
There are many more questions to be asked about the state of the climate crisis, health care, and education, as well as the economy, in global terms. There used to be a phrase, "Think Globally, Act Locally." I prefer "Think Globally Act Globally" whenever possible. As you can guess, there's much more to be learned about how we can help make the world healthier, safer, and more peaceful and loving.
I really enjoyed this thought piece Gary. You managed to underscore the contrast between the extractive and the restorative in a short post. Giving and sharing, in particular, are human social behaviors that support the health of the collective. It's no wonder that our modern consumer culture that values the opposite is ill and suffering.
True and unfortunate. We may end up consuming ourselves into oblivion. I am not a gloom and doom kind of person, much more a positive, hopeful optimist. That said, we can't continue to ignore the high costs of pollution, disease, poverty and the global imbalance of wealth distribution, beyond money - rich people living in poor countries and poor people living in rich countries. Kudos to those working on solutions rather than those who continue to complain and do nothing else.
Thanks, David. A worthy goal indeed. In thought, word and deed! I have said previously that I believe a life well lived will be measured not by how much one has acquired but rather by how much one has given away. I thought it was interesting to see that was one of Warren Buffet's goals although much of his acquired wealth will be transferred to another foundation, and that's fine too.
Hi Gary - I'm completely onboard with switching the narrative from taking to giving. You might enjoy "The Second Mountain" by David Brooks where he talks about life being two mountains and the first mountain is about establishing ourselves and the second one is all about how we contribute to our world through connection and generosity in the second half of life.
Great read, Gary. This is in alignment with conversations I've been having lately, which is always fun to see. I've been thinking a lot about how I use my own resources, and how I can redistribute them with my ever-evolving value updates within myself. A friend and I were speaking about how when we give, it opens up space and allows the energy to move, opening up space to receive, too. It happened to me this week, when I donated money and unexpectedly received 3x more than what I gave. And I'm not saying to give solely so we can receive, but it's an interesting concept to explore!
Thank you Gary. As always (excuse the pun) "on the money" with your insight. Digging for the values is always the most fruitful place of insight, and you do it beautifully. I think digging is a good analogy, because it the going beneath that gets us to the roots of things. Thank you.
Gary .... old words from old guys from ancient Greece and Gary ... great combo that proves everything old CAN be new again. I really liked this piece - longer than the ones I usually read (sorry, sometimes you are too professorial for my available bandwidth, but this one caught my and kept my attention. I'll be forwarding it to some people. Cheers, Mark
Thanks, Mark. I actually edited it down earlier this morning and glad it caught and kept you long enough to get through it. You are a good model for brevity being better.
I am NOT a good model for brevity - trust me; everyone who knows me struggles to shut me up or get to write tighter!
🤣
Goodness, Gary, perfect topic for me today. I have been thinking a lot of the phrase “waste not, want not” as I eat leftovers for lunch. Also, I have come to the realization that I dislike being told what to do. Even when it might benefit me, it’s hard to accept someone else’s direction—however lovingly it may be offered.
Oh my goodness! I took out the part about not liking being told what to do and that there are many who know me who can attest to that. I was one who started questioning authority early on and my parents, were they still alive, could tell you many stories. And then there were the teachers, coaches and professors, colleagues and others. I earned the titles contrarian and rebel. My former colleagues at leadershipanddesign.org awarded me the honorific title of "Resident Rebel" last years superseding my former title "Of Counsel"
I so appreciate this contrast that you point out Gary:
SPEND, BUY, WASTE, WANT, BORROW
vs
SAVE, USE, KEEP, HAVE and GIVE
It's one of the reasons we are in the predicament we are in at the moment. I believe more people are recognising and question it, but behaviour change will take time, systems change even longer.
Thanks, Rashmir. Good to see you here. I appreciate you and your presence. You are one who understands the “predicament” and doing what you can to help others take positive actions to make changes for the better.
I read this post yesterday, and I’ve been reflecting over it — some questions that popped up in my head, do you think it’s getting exponentially harder to save, keep, use, have and give in today’s landscape?
I’m unfamiliar with the west, but out here in the global south, the advertisement is often ignored as peripheral noise because most of the laymen know they cannot even afford to think out of their pay check to pay check lifestyle. This lifestyle has no room for saving, being able to keep something long-term (low-quality goods), use long term (again, low quality goods), and hence keep (wear off is very quick), and then give (though I see the people have been doing so despite capacity at their own expense due to a collectivist culture). This form of cycle then leaves them no room but to spend, waste, buy, want and borrow — but with a very different lens because it’s not really influenced by advertising but rather necessity (the cycle is enforced through a different means), if that makes sense?
Would love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks. What I have seen, from one end of the spectrum to the other, is that even the poorest of the poor, manage to give something that they have made, raised or grown in exchange for receiving help - this was in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Giving of self comes in many forms. Conspicuous consumption is not an issue when there is little to consume and sometimes not enough. There's much that can be done to help communities raise a standard of living to healthier conditions such as bringing solar power to remote places, providing clean, safe water and sanitation in cooperation with local NGO's and helping to educate both kids and adults to be able to read and write for self-empowerment. What I see that dominates the industrialized nations is industry and the concern about GDP instead of GHI that I wrote about in an earlier post. "Happiness Is...."
There are many more questions to be asked about the state of the climate crisis, health care, and education, as well as the economy, in global terms. There used to be a phrase, "Think Globally, Act Locally." I prefer "Think Globally Act Globally" whenever possible. As you can guess, there's much more to be learned about how we can help make the world healthier, safer, and more peaceful and loving.
I really enjoyed this thought piece Gary. You managed to underscore the contrast between the extractive and the restorative in a short post. Giving and sharing, in particular, are human social behaviors that support the health of the collective. It's no wonder that our modern consumer culture that values the opposite is ill and suffering.
True and unfortunate. We may end up consuming ourselves into oblivion. I am not a gloom and doom kind of person, much more a positive, hopeful optimist. That said, we can't continue to ignore the high costs of pollution, disease, poverty and the global imbalance of wealth distribution, beyond money - rich people living in poor countries and poor people living in rich countries. Kudos to those working on solutions rather than those who continue to complain and do nothing else.
SAVE, USE, KEEP, HAVE, GIVE. Words to live by - for sanity, for financial health, for the Earth. Thanks for this, Gary.
Thanks, David. A worthy goal indeed. In thought, word and deed! I have said previously that I believe a life well lived will be measured not by how much one has acquired but rather by how much one has given away. I thought it was interesting to see that was one of Warren Buffet's goals although much of his acquired wealth will be transferred to another foundation, and that's fine too.
Hi Gary - I'm completely onboard with switching the narrative from taking to giving. You might enjoy "The Second Mountain" by David Brooks where he talks about life being two mountains and the first mountain is about establishing ourselves and the second one is all about how we contribute to our world through connection and generosity in the second half of life.
I love that ending quote from Aristotle. A set pf principles to aspire to.
Great read, Gary. This is in alignment with conversations I've been having lately, which is always fun to see. I've been thinking a lot about how I use my own resources, and how I can redistribute them with my ever-evolving value updates within myself. A friend and I were speaking about how when we give, it opens up space and allows the energy to move, opening up space to receive, too. It happened to me this week, when I donated money and unexpectedly received 3x more than what I gave. And I'm not saying to give solely so we can receive, but it's an interesting concept to explore!
Thank you Gary. As always (excuse the pun) "on the money" with your insight. Digging for the values is always the most fruitful place of insight, and you do it beautifully. I think digging is a good analogy, because it the going beneath that gets us to the roots of things. Thank you.