What Is a Minimally Good Life?
psyche.co
What Is a Minimally Good Life?
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Re: What Is a Minimally Good Life?
#2I know that personally I really don't need much for my own happiness - the basics of survival, a very modest house, and being away from people and in nature would do it for me. The problem comes when these simple things are denied to me, and I am put in a society in which one is treated badly when one doesn't strive to keep up with the Joneses.
Controversial opinion: the people with the power to change the never-ending hamster wheel situation are primarly women, in that it is women's selection of mates and desire for consumer goods etc. that drive male competition. If women chose something different, perhaps humanity wouldn't be so rapacious of the earth.
Re: What Is a Minimally Good Life?
#3I'm confused, the article seems to be actually asking the question. "It varies" is brought up multiple times, but that doesen't exactly help outlining how we would be able to define minimally good life.
It also asks whether a reasonable, caring and free person would trade places with the worst off, which I'd find very unlikely. What you can realistically do about it is unknown.
Re: What Is a Minimally Good Life?
#4I know that personally I really don't need much for my own happiness - the basics of survival, a very modest house, and being away from people and in nature would do it for me. The problem comes when these simple things are denied to me, and I am put in a society in which one is treated badly when one doesn't strive to keep up with the Joneses. Controversial opinion: the people with the power to change the never-endi…
Extremely controversial.
Could we not also blame men for competing for the attention of the most attractive women, who then in turn can demand more resources?
I do think we attack men for being shallow more often than we attack women for being materialistic. The latter doesn’t get as much attention or critique, eg wanting a bigger house or label fashion is often seen as aspirational and positive; wanting a more attractive partner is not seen in the same light.
Why do men who have a partner already feel obliged to continue capturing more and more resources?
Are these just instincts that exist independently? Would removing one remove the other? Are they even so strong as to bind us by them?
In reality I think these instincts don’t rule us. Choosing a partner is a combination of physical and mental attraction, as well as a function of social status. We can choose. Timshel.
Re: What Is a Minimally Good Life?
#5I often contemplate what it is that leads to a "good life". I am very fortunate in so many ways, yet I allow myself to feel envy, call circumstances unfair because I didn't get what I want, or forget to be grateful. I see my kids growing up not knowing what struggling really feels like and realize that I don't have a true perspective of being without. I'm not saying that I would rather experience the feeling of hunger when you haven't eaten in days or the fear of not having access to medical services if my children or I were sick or injured. It seems that often times people don't "wake up" to an understanding of what truly matters, what really makes a good life, until they have faced tragedy. I don't want to wait for that. Instead, like the article states, I hope to be more considerate of the circumstances others have and are experiencing, thankful for opportunities and pitfalls of each day, and open to other perspectives; and I hope to pass that along to my children.
Re: What Is a Minimally Good Life?
#6I know that personally I really don't need much for my own happiness - the basics of survival, a very modest house, and being away from people and in nature would do it for me. The problem comes when these simple things are denied to me, and I am put in a society in which one is treated badly when one doesn't strive to keep up with the Joneses. Controversial opinion: the people with the power to change the never-endi…
I see your point but you can't blame this entirely on women. Men themselves rank each other based on status / earnings. They may not do it to each other's faces but definitely there's a mental book-keeping on whose "doing well" , and accordingly many men will show more respect to people with high status.
Now of course not everyone's like that, and indeed this changes from culture to culture on how pronounced it is.
Also, the more capitalistic a society is and the weaker the social safety net, one can't really blame women for chasing savings and things. They and there offsprings can potentially end up in the street if circumstances go bad, so they need a partner that can take care of their material wellbeing.
Re: What Is a Minimally Good Life?
#7I know that personally I really don't need much for my own happiness - the basics of survival, a very modest house, and being away from people and in nature would do it for me. The problem comes when these simple things are denied to me, and I am put in a society in which one is treated badly when one doesn't strive to keep up with the Joneses. Controversial opinion: the people with the power to change the never-endi…
I'd argue the desire for consumer goods is very much equal for men and women, and is not inherently a bad thing. Some people are content when they have _things_, others seek thrill and experiences. Getting drunk on power is a trip worth striding for for many.
The hamster-wheel is not based on any single subset of desires, it's the sum of all of them
Re: What Is a Minimally Good Life?
#8I know that personally I really don't need much for my own happiness - the basics of survival, a very modest house, and being away from people and in nature would do it for me. The problem comes when these simple things are denied to me, and I am put in a society in which one is treated badly when one doesn't strive to keep up with the Joneses. Controversial opinion: the people with the power to change the never-endi…
I don't know where you got that idea from, but your impression of the entire female gender is flawed, stereotypical, and yes, wrong.
I'm male. My competitive streak and desire for material goods is in direct conflict with my wife's desires. Most people I know similarly refute your opinion by their goals, personalities, and life status.
Re: What Is a Minimally Good Life?
#9I know that personally I really don't need much for my own happiness - the basics of survival, a very modest house, and being away from people and in nature would do it for me. The problem comes when these simple things are denied to me, and I am put in a society in which one is treated badly when one doesn't strive to keep up with the Joneses. Controversial opinion: the people with the power to change the never-endi…
Extremely controversial. Could we not also blame men for competing for the attention of the most attractive women, who then in turn can demand more resources? I do think we attack men for being shallow more often than we attack women for being materialistic. The latter doesn’t get as much attention or critique, eg wanting a bigger house or label fashion is often seen as aspirational and positive; wanting a more attra…
> Why do men who have a partner already feel obliged to continue capturing more and more resources?
Great question. I think there are strong forces and dynamics that push us to earn more and "improve", constantly, regardless of whether we have a partner or not. It's kindof what a capitalistic society is built upon. If we didn't consume much gdp wouldn't grow right? If we didn't compete how would earnings increase? It's coming from peers, parents, spouses and from the way society itself is structured. I think it doesn't have tons to do with genes or evolutionary instincts though they may also explain some of it.
Re: What Is a Minimally Good Life?
#10I know that personally I really don't need much for my own happiness - the basics of survival, a very modest house, and being away from people and in nature would do it for me. The problem comes when these simple things are denied to me, and I am put in a society in which one is treated badly when one doesn't strive to keep up with the Joneses. Controversial opinion: the people with the power to change the never-endi…
While they may have the upper hand when it comes to selecting companions, they definitely don't have more power over men. One simply has to look at laws in cultures all over the world that suppress their rights. In societies where they don't have the right to choose their mates male competition still exists. In addition, what alternative are you even suggesting? That women choose defy their own well-being and mate with all men?