Culture

Historically, humanity’s problems were that of scarcity. Oftentimes, we failed to over-source life’s basic necessities. We struggled with the psychological stress of having few choices in our lives, instead subjugating ourselves to the will of our family or tribe. We lacked time or resources for entertainment and spent our brief breaks for leisure doing things we’d find utterly boring today. By contrast, modernity and all of the resources that come with it, brings about a new plague of abundance. We have too much choice. So much so that we are paralyzed by decisions. We have too many relationships. We cycle through relationships and jobs. We interact with hundreds of people over the course of weeks. We have too much stimulation. We eat too much. We fill our lives with goodies we don’t need. We anxiously open and reopen our phones. We seek greater and greater highs, resorting to drugs when life ultimately feels bland. We feel like we have to say yes to all this. That life is about how many experiences, people, and goodies we can consume before we retire. But all this creates a shallowness to our lived experience. I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.

Problems of Abundance vs. Problems of Scarcity👉