When We Have Everything and Lack Nothing
There are marvelous instances in which we have everything, where every aspect is held in an almost perfect balance. However, not long after, that magic vanishes or just simply ends. That’s when we realize that, in the end, what’s important in life is to be okay with ourselves, to remain calm, and be at peace.
Zygmunt Bauman, Polish sociologist and philosopher, tells us that we currently live in a society of consumerism. One that invites us to desire that which others tell us we lack. Society tells us to throw out what we already have and briefly use what is offered to us. They are turning us in some way into unsatisfied creatures. Into people who value speed and not tranquility. People who long for the things they don’t posses instead of appreciating what they already have.
“Sometimes, we can spend years without even living. Then, suddenly, our entire lives concentrate into one instant.”
-Oscar Wilde-
This culture of detachment makes it so that oftentimes we get restless when we perceive that happiness never arrives. And if it does, it passes quicker than the blink of an eye. It’s like a drop of dew that disappears with the morning sun. That’s when we blame political figures, our bosses, our families and even that person that maybe promised us eternal love. But we didn’t know that their concept of eternity didn’t extend further than a couple of months.