All of life is ethereal. It will soon fade to dust. So why accumulate things, and worry so much about the material world?

Anti stuff

I’m the typical American consumerist — raised with material predilections. The ethos is this:

Accumulate the best things, and you will be the most happy.

If you’re not happy, your stuff isn’t good enough. Thus the goal is to accumulate more things, or to “upgrade”your things to “better”things.

Help me, I can’t get rid of my stuff!

Stuff is weird. You get it, then you can’t get rid of it. Why not? You impute emotional meaning into the thing. Which means if you get rid of that thing, you’re somehow losing some of your emotions or soul.

Also another issue: the stress associated with either selling your stuff, giving it away, or deciding to throw it away.

Everything will eventually disappear into the ether, and all will also eventually get washed into the ocean.

Don’t worry so much for physical or material things. Let us strive for the epic, great, and heroic immaterial things (honor, courage, valor, strength, tenacity, focus, creative production).

ERIC