One of my favorite blogs right now is Zen Habits. It's a well-written simplicity/productivity blog with lots of good advice about how to live a more peaceful life.
Today's post provides some mental tips to avoid feeling envious of the wealth of people around you. It's a hard topic, because we humans have evolved to constantly compare ourselves with those in our social group and to constantly scheme to move up the social hierarchy whenver and wherever possible. Envy of others is useful for the species, but it can be quite destructive for an individual.
The post had lots of advice but did not include my favorite mental manipulation to obviate envy. I left it as a comment at the end of the article:
When you catch yourself comparing your situation to your neighbor, change it around to comparing yourself to the wealthiest person on earth . . . at the dawn of civilization, 10,000 years ago. Back then, disease was rampant, luxury goods nonexistent, and even the wealthiest individuals scratched out a horrid existence by modern standards. I would rather live well below the poverty line in today’s society rather than be wealthy in the past. Even 100 years ago was so much worse than it is today. And the primary reason that we have it so well today? A world economy that has grown consistently over those 10,000 years. And why does the economy keep growing? Because people are ambitious and strive to be among the wealthiest on the earth. Me, I’m happy spending my time on things I think are more enjoyable and not spend so much time on ambition and wealth. But I am very grateful for the ambitious and grossly wealthy members of our society (and their predecessors). All of the luxury goods I own today (like my computer, or even my toothbrush) are because of their hard work.
Today's post provides some mental tips to avoid feeling envious of the wealth of people around you. It's a hard topic, because we humans have evolved to constantly compare ourselves with those in our social group and to constantly scheme to move up the social hierarchy whenver and wherever possible. Envy of others is useful for the species, but it can be quite destructive for an individual.
The post had lots of advice but did not include my favorite mental manipulation to obviate envy. I left it as a comment at the end of the article:
When you catch yourself comparing your situation to your neighbor, change it around to comparing yourself to the wealthiest person on earth . . . at the dawn of civilization, 10,000 years ago. Back then, disease was rampant, luxury goods nonexistent, and even the wealthiest individuals scratched out a horrid existence by modern standards. I would rather live well below the poverty line in today’s society rather than be wealthy in the past. Even 100 years ago was so much worse than it is today. And the primary reason that we have it so well today? A world economy that has grown consistently over those 10,000 years. And why does the economy keep growing? Because people are ambitious and strive to be among the wealthiest on the earth. Me, I’m happy spending my time on things I think are more enjoyable and not spend so much time on ambition and wealth. But I am very grateful for the ambitious and grossly wealthy members of our society (and their predecessors). All of the luxury goods I own today (like my computer, or even my toothbrush) are because of their hard work.
Hmph. I was green yesterday when I realized that someone in human resources at my firm drives an Audi SUV, while our family is trying to make a 12 year old Nissan Sentra keep chugging... Can I just send her back the 10,000 years to scratch out an existence? Instead of imagining it for myself??!
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