Excess vs. Enough

A financial planner once said, we only need so much to live. That is the plain truth. Food. Shelter. Clothing. Basic neanderthal caveman style needs, amped up in this computer age that we need more than that to be truly happy.

So what gives?
Why do we keep dragging ourselves into shopping malls and come home with more material acquisitions that does exactly what? Entertain us? Elicit happy genes? Improve our image or self-esteem? Add up to more gadget junk we already have a pile of, stashed away in cobwebbed cabinets at home? Do what exactly??

I understand the insatiable desire to buy new clothing. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It makes us women and gays (in particular) feel good about ourselves. Arming us as we go about our business in this cut-throat career worlds. We look good, we work well, we get promoted. I get that while boosting your self-esteem kind of makeover routine and we need that. But once we've established ourselves why do we always want more? Seriously, MORE signature temptations? I don't understand if there's a fashion competition on the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS for the "the-woman-who-has-had-more-shoes-bags-than-Imelda Marcos"  that I wasn't invited to?

I wonder, when does the desire for MORE all stop?
Are we too afraid to go hungry?
Are we trying too hard to fit in?
Are we satisfying a part of us that just can't be satisfied?
Are we too proud of ourselves and what we have accomplished?
Are we better people because of things?

Are we?





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