Contentedness

I think that one of the major reasons for my discontentment with life under capitalism is that I have already discovered what makes me the happiest — which is spending time with the people I love, so I feel no need to seek more beyond what I already have, and I will never fit into a system that encourages feelings of acquiring more, limitless ambition, and endless growth.

I value contentedness more than ambition because to be at peace with my current circumstances is all I could ever wish for. Whereas I think ambition carries the risk of becoming toxic; that too much ambition could result in a life where nothing will ever be enough to satisfy our wants and desires. I would prefer to be grateful for what I have than to be driven by arbitrary measures of success, which might not bring me any greater happiness. Ambition has been co-opted by capitalism to encourage the pursuit of more, and that to be ambitious is synonymous with a successful career — and thus a successful life.

I recognize that my perspective is very privileged because there are many people in our society who actually need more — people who are struggling to meet their most basic human needs because our society has failed them. My thoughts here are not targeting the individuals who are striving to achieve a decent standard of living, but those people who continue to seek endless wealth, career achievements, material possessions and luxuries rather than enjoying what they already have.

I find ambition to be exhausting, but I acknowledge that to feel content takes effort as well, especially in our society where we are bombarded by marketing and advertising in every aspect of our lives. However, I would rather spend the rest of my life trying to feel at peace with who I am and what I’m doing, than to burnout from chasing dreams. As my favourite poet — the Buddhist hermit Ryokan Taigu, once wrote: “Too lazy to be ambitious, I let the world take care of itself. Ten days’ worth of rice in my bag; a bundle of twigs in my fireplace. Why chatter about delusion and enlightenment? Listening to the night rain on my roof, I sit comfortably, with both legs stretched out.”

Being near loved ones, having vulnerable conversations, and enjoying each other’s presence is the number one thing I want out of my life — nothing brings me more personal joy. So long as I am able to meet my basic needs for food, shelter, and good health, then I don’t need more money, or to own my own house, or other material things, because these will not bring me even a fraction of the joy that I receive from being with my friends or family. All I want from this life, is to love others and feel loved in return.