Friday, November 16, 2007

Quantity Vs. Quality

What do you want? Do you want more than your neighbor has and that's pretty much your only comparing factor? Do the Jones' have more than you and you have to beat the Jones' to be worthwhile in today's society? Go forth and plunder until the Jones' have been defeated. Their enormous SUV or pickup truck has clearly been conquered by your new Caterpillar 797B dump truck towing your 10,000 square foot house on wheels to work and back every day. Now I'm not going off the deep end and saying that there is no need for material goods, but I am asking do you really need that extra whatever it is you have your mind on. Will it provide you a function that makes you happier? Now if that Porsche 911 Turbo really can make your entire body tingle like no other from the shear force of 480 horses thundering off the line with an intense G-force that compares to nothing you've ever experienced in your entire life, go out and earn it. Want it with every last little bit of passion you can possibly muster.
Consider first, do you really, and I mean REALLY want it? If not, what's the point? Did the last big purchase you made make you happier? Are you using it to it's fullest extent like you thought you would? If the answer is yes, way to go, you've used your noggin wisely.
Okay, so far, all I've talked about is the material usage side of the equation. Like the pythagorian theorem cannot determine C if you are missing A or B, human waste cannot be determined without the quantity of users variable. X number of people using Y amount of materials over Z amount of time in comparison to the rate of renewal that the earth can sustain. Another way of looking at it is rate of consumption directly compared to rate of renewal. Now I'm not going to try and claim that our rate of consumption is not sustainable which is one of the major arguments between republicans and democrats today, but I will say that both our rate of consumption per person and the quantity of people are both going up at extremely rapid rates. How long until we overtake the sustainability rate? I don't know. What I do know is that if we stay clear of that point, quality goes up. We have more resources to make our products with very high quality. We wouldn't have to worry about cutting back anything. For example, today's houses are cookie cutter models. Unique designs of years past are just that, years past. No more are houses designed to last hundreds of years, but are dated after 10 years or so and you rarely or never see such amazing efforts that were common in Europe just a few hundred years ago (example: the Sistine Chapel). There are hundreds of examples where quality could be improved, but in it's stead, we put quantity. Most obviously, quantity of people. More, more, more people. We all have to have our genes extended as far as possible. Our family line must be as controlling in society as we are capable of doing. There are two philosophies to doing this. One being to have kids that are very intelligent and physically powerful to be as far reaching in society as they can be via quality of character. Two being to have as many kids as possible and infiltrate society with shear quantity, even if the quality is questionable. Now I ask, do you prefer quality or quantity? Do you want the best for yourself/kid or do you want the most for yourself/kid?
Are you tired of the more, more, more demand that society puts on you or do you buy into it hook, line, and sinker? Where true happiness occurs is in the pursuit. The desire for something better. The question now is, does better have to equal more? More is obviously eventually not going to be sustainable, it's just a matter of time. Do you want the next generation (your kids) to enjoy quality of life or just be alive, breathing air and exising? Must you have three or more children? Maybe take a second to view Idiocracy.
If you want a new perspective on things, maybe you could learn a thing or two from Christopher McCandless. Take a listen to Eddie Vedder's - Society. Go out and read or watch Into The Wild. Open your eyes to the world that isn't too far from the grasps of societies demand for more, more, more. Go see the world from the top of a mountain, go breathe fresh air, get out and enjoy your own powers.

hmmm ooh hooo hooo
It's a mystery to me
we have a greed
with which we have agreed
You think you have to want
more than you need
until you have it all you won't be free
society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
When you want more than you have
you think you need
and when you think more than you want
your thoughts begin to bleed
I think I need to find a bigger place
'cos when you have more than you think
you need more space
society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me
there's those thinking more or less less is more
but if less is more how you're keeping score?
Means for every point you make
your level drop
skinda like its starting from the top
you can't do that...society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me
society, have mercy on me
I hope you're not angry if I disagree
society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

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