'If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor'?

Question

Do we expect other people to be content with living simply, when we would not be content with their standard of living?

Answer 1

Well, I think everyone is a little different. We all have a different idea of paradise. Yours might be a quaint little cottage in the country, someone else's might be a sleek condo in the city, mine might be (ok is) a modern house on a cliff overlooking the ocean...sigh

But the truth is you can live simply at any standard of living. The important thing is that you love yourself and others and the world. Follow your dreams and do what you love. You might be happy living like a gypsy, backpacking across Europe and having adventures. Or you might like the safety and security of a home. Follow your bliss not someone else's. We don't all move to the beat of the same drum. The important thing is to go after what you want, whatever it may be and make it happen.

I may not have all the material things I'd like but I'm happy with my life as it is now, nonetheless because I have love and creativity. They are the true value. Everything else is just gravy...

But mmmmmm gravy...

Answer 2

We, as a culture, continually strive for more and better, whatever those two things mean to each individual.

We're contempt and proud of what we have.... until we see somebody down the street who has more, and we think to ourselves that we, too, need more.

The saying "money doesn't buy happiness", well it may not, but I do know times where I haven't had money and wasn't happy. We have just been raised in a society where everything is given to us and if it isn't, we whine until it is. It is engraved into us to be better than the next person. Competitiveness is embedded into us since we were born. We have to have the biggest house on the block, the shiniest car on the street, the biggest diamond on our hands.

I'm not blaming anyone or being a hypocrite, but if we weren't raised to see what everyone has, if envy didn't play such a big role in our lives, then 'If I hadn't seen such riches I could live with being poor'? could be what we would say....

Answer 3

i would say yes.

For however much this government works to prevent
its citizens from being poor,they still are.
What i mean is, is that there is at the moment no concerted
effort to have even a domestic even-ed out society.
And (so-called)little things show this;just recently this
government allowed the media to "celebrate" and publicize
the fact of rising population here(300+mill);Also, the US is
at least in the minority when the government didnt sign-up
on the International climate change treaty.
Why do these show that there is no real effort in combatting
poorness?
The first is obvious; (and allthis Should be in capital letters!)
- with a smaller and limited population, ALL of the population
can benefit,by targeting better and bigger housing-for-the
poor; by targetting better education-especially reading and
writing; schooling, which once was and again should be
directed at educating-the-masses.
The second,shows a (government) point-of-view which is
limited and rigid;i mean the present one which leans toward
the view that the poor deserve what they get.All this has to do
with the current situation in education too,(and ive already
criticized its narrow ruling ideology); Talk of "such riches"
is,frankly,madness.
Who has such riches?
Possibly one who is a billionaire and doesnt need to work;
but as one scholar said-why worry about them?
We should worry about those in power because that power
can be abused; but also,they may not effectively or
obviously tackle problems such-as-poorness;such problems
which need CONSTANT effort and virgil.
And we shouldnt be content with leaders and educators,even
the systems that Sprouted them,because we need to renew
and reinvigorate our (nonexpert) help and awareness of this problem; to stop it from spreading once again(we would know
this if it engulfed us).

Answer 4

I live simply. Are you rich? I mean, yes, I have a tv and a computer and I try to travel to the beach or to a destination somewhere other than my home at least once a year, but I have two children who are in the hospital alot so I spend more time with them there or at the doctor's offices. I pray everyday for peace and health and I have a master's degree, so you'd think I'd have enough money right? Not when it goes to doctor's and such. The thing is that I would rather live simply and with peace and in health than rich whatever your definition is and what do you consider "their" standard of living and who are "they"?

Answer 5

Yes, for example, all the tribes among the world, obviously have poor living conditions, but they don't see any problems with it, either its what they have always known, or don't want to change from their tribes "traditions"

Heres another example:

In Genesis, Adam and Eve were nude, until they ate the fruit, it was all they knew, and had no problems with it, but when they ate the fruit, they realized that they were indeed naked.

As for the 2nd part of your question....

I dont think that we really care about how other people live, and whether they are content, or not. It seems we are fine with the mudholes that some people live in, as long as they stay there, and don't bother us.

Answer 6

Yeah, I would be content living a normal life with and average pay check, if I wasn't teased by the millionares across the country. If I had never been introduced to celebrities life then I wouldn't want it because I wouldn't have known about it. You can't want something if you don't know it exists. Everyday we look at the media and see rich people livin' it up and your tempted by it. Wanting something you can't have though is somettimes a good thing because it makes us work harder for what it is that we yurn for.
^_^

Answer 7

A 400 pound man sees riches in deep-fried pizza. He is not content being 400 pounds nor is he content with trading deep-fried pizza for broccoli. He want's pleasure at any cost.

A man who is lustful and goes through women like he does shirts sees his riches in the faceless women he's concurred. He is not content because he's missing 'intimacy' yet will not live without the faceless women. Again, personal desires overcome any desire of maintaining dignaty.

A man who smokes sees the riches in his tobacco. He sees the negative causes of tobacco, yet will not live without tobacco because it's too uncomfortable to trade in immediate gratification for long term benefits.

In short, gluttony is gluttony regardless what the treasure is.

Answer 8

They say travel broadens the mind. Having seen other cultures managing perfectly well with so little has given me a gratitude for all I have been blessed with, but no desire to have more. It is enough for me to have enough to meet my needs, I don't need riches and I live simply. In all the ways that matter, family, health, job opportunities - I am indeed very fortunate

Answer 9

Anybody that manages to live simply, but also feel fulfilled, or just contented, is extremely fortunate.
Most of us spend many hours, trying to improve our lot, without really examining, what we are trying to achieve.
In consequence, when we achieve it (If we achieve it), we find it is not, what we really wanted.

Answer 10

Yes that sounds about right. I think people would be happier living simply if they didn't see so many others with much more.