That said, whether one cries in a Ferrari or sheds tears in a Honda Civic, the bitterness of those tears remains unchanged. If one *must* weep, then why not do so in a Ferrari? At the very least, on the journey toward inner freedom, material affluence can provide us with greater cushioning and choice.
But (maybe) it's hard for some people to resist the desire to maintain material affluence and, therefore, make it harder to prioritize happiness over wealth.
I think both having too much or too little money can have a significant second order effect on people's prioritization.
I have long been wanting to read Erich Fromm's the Art of loving and the Art of being! Thanks for sharing and now I have one more reason to check them out :)
I love how you treat happiness as something we could all stand to study, like botany or knitting—almost as if joy, too, could be learned with a bit of patience and the right kind of attention.
I love this distinction you make about the difference between internal and external freedom.
"External freedom focuses on external factors. It represents the freedom to act without other's interference. It's the "freedom to" do anything you want.
On the other hand, internal freedom focuses on the internal factors. It represents the freedom to act without our own destructive impulses. It's the "freedom from" being controlled by our inner drives."
love this piece!
thank you!
That said, whether one cries in a Ferrari or sheds tears in a Honda Civic, the bitterness of those tears remains unchanged. If one *must* weep, then why not do so in a Ferrari? At the very least, on the journey toward inner freedom, material affluence can provide us with greater cushioning and choice.
But (maybe) it's hard for some people to resist the desire to maintain material affluence and, therefore, make it harder to prioritize happiness over wealth.
I think both having too much or too little money can have a significant second order effect on people's prioritization.
The train station analogy was so helpful for me. It'll stick with me for a long time.
Yes, and another helpful analogy I like is The Elephant and the Rider: https://www.creativehuddle.co.uk/post/the-elephant-and-the-rider
The structure of your essay and the way you think remind me of Eric Fromm...Escape from Freedom and the Art of loving
I have long been wanting to read Erich Fromm's the Art of loving and the Art of being! Thanks for sharing and now I have one more reason to check them out :)
I love how you treat happiness as something we could all stand to study, like botany or knitting—almost as if joy, too, could be learned with a bit of patience and the right kind of attention.
Treating happiness as a learnable skill makes me happier too!
I love this distinction you make about the difference between internal and external freedom.
"External freedom focuses on external factors. It represents the freedom to act without other's interference. It's the "freedom to" do anything you want.
On the other hand, internal freedom focuses on the internal factors. It represents the freedom to act without our own destructive impulses. It's the "freedom from" being controlled by our inner drives."
Thank you Rick! Always appreciate your honest and thoughtful feedback 🫡