Enough is enough
There is no enough concept in this economy. If you say enough, you will be rejected by your manager, you will be told as less efficient. You have to keep on running for making this economy powerful. Each and every day I'm asked to contribute something new to this economy. I'm asked to write a paper in web caching, and god forsaken I got 10,000 papers which are already posted in web caching, yet this world is asking me to contribute a 10,001 paper. I'm feeling I'm getting lost somewhere, or either what I'm doing now will be lost somewhere. The growth here, abundance, enormousness is making me mad.
Does anyone have ever thought that growth is enough? I'm thinking growth at this pace will exploit few things,
1) Natural resources
2) Human mental condition
3) Peace
Growth will increase only one thing,
1) Your bank account showing glozzy figures
Shall we stop working for economic growth and do something useful? If you think what would we do for employement if we stop growing, my answer would be that we can employ as many people as today for maintaining what we have grown so far. The infinite growth will consume this nature to the fullest. There will be only money to eat tomorrow for which we are struggling hard now. I pray this should not happen.
In the system of "Enough" a person's need become bare minimum, and will get more time to think about lot of other things, towards love, nature, religion, culture etc. and all these things doesnt develops greed like money. Eventually you will find only happiness. I have experienced happiness when I was poor. I used to have 100 Rs as pocket money during my bachelors. Now I have 200$ to spend, but I don't find that happiness. Luxury kills me.
All the above are my feelings towards this current system. Coming out of the system is as difficult for me as an insect coming out from a spiders web. The spiders web in the real sense is only capitalism, money, money and money. Even if I had to be in the system, I will reduce my needs to bare minimum, and will do this current work totally un-attached, coz I know I'm working for destruction.
-Saravanan Mathialagan.
Usha and the Red brigade
1 year ago
17 comments:
very well said da... saying enough is what makes ones life more happy.. nothing else can ever do that...
growth towards infinity can only bring about destruction...
I guess the feelin and the thought in the column is felt universal.. But it is very few who go over to the extra mile and do something abt it.. We humans are so hopelessly dependent on the system.. The Matrix says it all mann.. We live in One.. the real freedom is when we are FREE in the MIND..I hope for the day to come soon..
thats very true..
a good analogy would be that of death. Everyone knows death is certain but no one acts so. But if the realization dawns, then its a whole new world after that.
Hey Skay .. nice to see you man and thanks for the comments. I can only be happy if many people start realizing the same ..
Thanks.
I want to make a point w.r.t. the "human mental condition" here. Just a question, infact for you guys to comment upon. I am assuming you are advocating a *way of life* for everyone.
By including human mental condition here, are we making a case for mediocrity and laziness here? Does this mean most of us, humans, are already very near the limits of our mental capabilities and henceforth we must just play within our limits and stop pressurizing ourselves in our mental pursuits so that we can live a *peaceful* life. Again, its just the *mental condition* I am arguing against. (we have enough evidence of exploiting natural resources and peace)
The reason I bring this up is that Capitalism, inspite of all its other follies (which are quite enough for us to look at alternatives. i am not arguing against that) has fostered a pretty creative and free environment for the top echelon of performers. (assuming that, that is the case) Ruthless, as it might seem, it seems very fair to me. That gets me back to the first point I made. Are we whining for the mediocre to get more *intellectual* freedom? Should such freedom be an absolute necessity for all humans or should it remain a luxury just as it is now? The reason I ask this question is this.. It is not in our interests to keep going continously after making money. (as you have pointed out) But it is in our interests to keep going continously after knowledge.Offering *intellectual* freedom to everyone maybe too luxurious for the human race as a whole.
Reading that back, it does sound a bit elitist/non egalitarian. But I am just arguing to open things up. :) I am willing to stand corrected.
Hi karthik,
Your interpretations are awesotme. Its going to make me think more about it, until I get an answer, and it might not stop there too.
I will take some time for this. Thanks for the comments. Lets take another step into it.
Thanks,
Saravanan
@Sarav - Removed ur post and added that as a comment here.
Sarav's comment
---------------
Sometime we react to situations and its hard to understand that unless if someone has gone through that. All we did in last 25 years is do something intellectually, and the education system never contributed us to look into inside and do something what your instinct says. Had this been enforced right from the school, had the education system allowed us to learn the truth of our existence in the world, the world would not be like this.
On saying that human intellect has produced a totally safe economy. Yes probably it would have been if it had not been centered for money. Currently system works on wants, business instead of needs. You can see the current state of world, chemicals, nuclear weapon, robots in moon etc etc. and we all are working intellectually to produce an unsafe economy according to me.
Regarding the human mental condition, I meant I'm not happy being and working for the current system, and would have been happy by doing some thing else, like a service etc.
Abt laziness that the concept of enough could introduce, well I didnt take that way. If I have not been programming after 5 PM, I would have done something else in that time. But alas, I'm expected to work more than it needs to stay in the system. I think there is a slight margin between laziness and remaining satisfied at home. My dad has always appreciated me when studying, but never encouraged me sitting in the chair and thinking, watching TV or playing during my school, this has affected me a lot in then coming years. I felt the suffocation of doing something without the inner harmony.
I'm also standing to get corrected. I'm not able to express a better way than this, but lets keep debating.
@Karthik -
Ones right to life is way more important than the right to intellectual freedom of that of a million others... So if a system can be constructed where ones intellectual freedom can be fostered without affecting the right to life of others, no one will have any issues with that...
Todays education system is not about fostering intellectual freedom. It fosters competition were a few succeed and the rest get squished. In todays system, the cost of intellectual freedom for the elite few is the destruction of life for the vast majority. To me, this is totally unacceptable. If this could be taken care of (have no clue how), no one will have issues with intellectual pursuits.
Sarav:
There are crores of people writing correct answer to the 12th standard maths exam question. Why should the examiner ask me to write one more ;) Iam getting lost over the scores. Let me write the answer for biology paper in there :)
point is we are students and this side of the table. When we get to the other side of the table, you can present the students with research topics, but still mind that the people to whom you are giving the research topic is a student :)
Now, capitalism is not bad and is not evil. I want money and my bank account has to show glozzy figures, not that i want to flaunt it, but when I meet with an accident my parents and friends should not beg others for money. Thats the reason, everyone gives out around 20 - 30 % of their earnings to safety and health. it is < 10 % that is used for flaunting.
Partha : anyone can bring a problem, important thing is to bring a solution albeit cumbersome, and till we know of a solution, lets not rise to demolish existing social setup.
Karthik :
Everyone in social ladder wants to come up and should. But that does not mean the elite should slow down or stoop down so that the lower down the ladder can feel satisfied.
I agree with most of ur points.
oh boy a long comment frm me ;)
@ba3
I don't understand which problem u r referring to and what social setup that u r talking about..
Bhadhri,
What you said about maths analogy is fine. We will deal with that topic seperately.
All the knowledge, invention has caught into the spiders web called capitalism. Please remember the ultimate goal of capitalism is capital, or money, and it stands by its word. My thinking is anything done for money, for the sole purpose of money is totally un-natural, self interested where something else would be exploited.
Every bit and byte cannot exist without energy derived from nature. Capitalism at this pace would produce more and more aeroplanes, more and more computers, more and more machines, or more and more whatever. Who will feed this "more and more". Do you think humans can run this "more and more" for all the future thats going to come. This limitless growth will exploit all the energy drived from nature, like thermal, coal, oil etc etc ..
Today Bhadri will enjoy, Sarav will enjoy this nature. When it is totally consumed, our children has to live in darkness. Remember! All they would have is the bank account you left behind for them. Give me an alternative source of energy and then continue talking about your capitalism.
I can be 100% sure that only agiricultural country who has the backbone of agriculture will be able to survive in tomorrows world, bacause their consumption, needs are less. Agiriculture only helps nature recycling. Also you dont need to use your intellect which we learn from LKG to Bachelors for living a natural and simple life.
Answer me please, a source of energy for the future to feed your capitalism or anything that your capitalism will invent in this world. Please do not tell nuclear energy as a source. It is as destructive to the nature as much as energy it could produce.
My God .. I'm thinking if nuclear energy is a worst enemy for producing energy, the computers we use are worst enemies which consumes energy than anything else currently. A computer is never switched off nowadays. Please remember 30/40 years back, the world was surviving better without this computer box. Dont think this idiot box has created a better living for you and me.
The conclusion is too far. It can come only by thinking into this matter very seriously. Its very simple, according me I guess we should ask our self and think to the inside you, and not outside for constructing a so called beautiful world.
Please think the raise in the cost of oil, fight for petrol in Iraq. just think whom to feed we are struggling. If this capitalism, globalization would have not been there, or if we had worked towards nature, or we have thought abt a simple life there wouldnt be a fight right ...
So you asked us to propose a solution.
My solution would be realizing this situation and live a simple life. living a nature dependent life and not a machine dependent life. THis would be my conclustion.
Again if you point me ask what am going to do. Well its been 25 years I have been into this system, and I cant come out in a jify, but would start slowly detaching myself from this system.
I hope you got it. We are fighting for the truth and not for the sake of debate, and the real victory would be we all realize this.
Thanks,
Saravanan Mathialagan.
@ partha :
the educational system and the case of intellectuals. the one for which you said you dont have a solution.
@ Sarav :
I totally agree that when I destroy nature human race gets hit. The natural calamities are the results of it. Preservation is no longer the need of the hour. one needs to improve the nature. But my point is capitalism is not the solre culprit. We cannot disown the whole infrastructure. We change it brick by brick. We have to move slowly and surely. But it is gonna take time, and lets not get disillusioned on that part of it.
Badhri,
am happy from your reply.
as of now I can only think that capitalism has a major share to this destruction ..
many realize as they get old, or unable to perform, or before death. its nice to see many of us realize the truth at this age ..
yeah we should take steps to change this. accepted.
a relevant post on KG's blog
http://gskg.wordpress.com/2007/04/07/some-fun-with-economic-systems/
@ba3
Right to life gets priority..and if someone else needs to ensure right to intellectual freedom, that should not be done at the cost of right to life.. it is the responsibility of whoever wants it to come up with such a system.. till such time, it is better not to have the current system simply due to its negative effects..
interesting blog about greed and wants...
Being absolutely cynical abt this blog.. I can argue sayin U guys are greedy and "want" peace, "want" to change the system, "want" to make ppl understand wat u "want".. But I guess tat is not the point... Let me try to make a little sense
My fren sarji speaks abt using all the energy we have arnd to power computers which we "waste" developing computer programs tat will support capitalism and make ppl earn money.. I see it doin other things..
I see computer helpin detecting tsunamis, which can save millions of people... (by the way, the nature which seems to "give" always, takes human bodies to replenish its resources!!!! Hmmm... will ppl respond to this sayin its the law of nature.. and it "kills" to strike a balance.. [if possible and if it exists, say somethin new])
I see the use of technology to access a remote village in Africa and provide medical aid to save millions of ppl...
I see technology takin water from the Indus and providing it to thirsty plants, animals (NATURE!!) in the thar desert...
I see technology in the construction of earth-quake resistant houses in Japan to save human..
I see technology in helping warn ppl abt tornodos in Florida...
I see more.. I hope I dont get a reply sayin.. Its fate, its law of nature or Its only because Chennai has a tidel park is faced the Tsunami.. Incase any of this is the reason..please please substantiate..
Technology is knowledge and as such it is neither good or bad. Its the applications of technology that are the problems. One shouldn't say that petrol based engine is the best invention ever as it powers ambulances. One should look at the complete picture. What percentage of its applications are used for such purposes? What are the collateral damages? Who bears the cost of such damages? Is what we do is sustainable.. in other words, does what we do affect future generations? Its only when we try to answer such and many other questions does one get the complete picutre of things.
Computers and the internet may help us predict storms and tsunamis. But what about all the toxic waste that goes into the comp and what about the toxic waste that manufacturing of computers result in. Who are the ones who get affected by the discharge of such waste into the environment. More than a million computers are conveniently dumped every year. How much power does all these computers consume? Where does this power come from? What are the consequences of such a global drainage of power? I am sure you can easily figure out the consequences of all these. The internet enables big time transfer of capital from one corner of the globe to the other. This is one of the primary reasons for frequent meltdowns of economies across the world. Remember the great south asian crisis of the late 90's or the 50Billion dollar bail out of the mexican economy by the States in early 90's. The consequences of such meltdowns are horrible to the poor (who in fact are the majority everywhere).
Technology to dam water is probably the second most abusive technology ever invented after the nuclear bomb. The animals and plants in the Thar desert have been living and reproducing happily for millenia. Its not like they want us to give them water. Damming a river results in the displacement of thousands of tribes who we usually dont care about. HUGE amounts of reserve forests get destroyed. The flow of water through canals to distant lands result in either water logging or salination of huge tracts of land resulting in they becoming totally incultivable. There are many many other negative effects of dams. One very important thing that is ignored during the construction of dams is drainage. Constructors build dams and canals to water fields but no one builds water ways to drain water from places where they take it to. This is like constructing a human body with arteries and without veins. Not a particularly bright idea.
The list is endless. The point is that is that one should look at all the effects before passing a decision. Blindly supporting technology for the sake of a couple of hallowed words like 'growth' and 'development' is naive and biased. The sad reality is that the technology and science has grown so big upon us that we have become totally reactive to its negative effects. We are just not able to be proactive.
Obviously search for knowledge has been something the human race has been at from time immemorial and that explains why hold it to be a holy duty. But, science has moved too fast for us to even understand its effects. Its too big and unwieldy for us to handle. We just don't even think about the negative consequences of technology before embracing it. We only react to those consequences after they have caused a lot of damage or threaten a total catastrophe. This verily is the road to perdition. This is precisely the reason why a lot of us are crying hoarse for the rest of the world to step back and analyze and this is the reason why we should say enough.
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