Many seek to cultivate a mindset of abundance to become wealthy. Historically, the nouveau riche, otherwise known as the bourgeoisie, have always desired what could not be bought with money, such as titles of nobility.
Being Rich Means Desiring the Unattainable
When we lack something materially, we seek to satisfy basic needs. This distinction between humans and animals may also lie in the fact that humans have created a system that allows them not to constantly think about food. When a need is satisfied, one moves to the next higher need, according to Maslow’s theory. Thus, the wealthy should surpass others; they have freed their minds from all material needs. However, this does not mean they live fulfilled lives, as wealth does not guarantee nobility of heart.
Thinking Like the Rich Without Being Rich
Modern consumer society has succeeded in its trickery by always making us feel poor and in need of buying things continuously to show our place in society. In reality, if we compare with previous generations, 90% of people today live better than 90% of those who lived before the Industrial Revolution. This statement also takes into account the upper classes and all criteria for judging such (access to healthcare, ability to travel, access to entertainment, etc.). We are comparatively rich, yet we continue to think we are poor—that we lack and do not have enough materially, which prevents us from elevating our thoughts.
Ennobling Our Hearts and Minds
There will never be enough room on Earth for greedy minds and hearts.
If human consciousness struggles to progress, it is because it is constantly kept in a state of lack, that is, of not having enough. Quite the opposite is true; we often have enough things (of course, true poverty has not yet been eradicated worldwide). What we lack is time and mental capacity devoted to our personal improvement. If we were aware of our richness (which we already are), we would seek to become more noble, just as the bourgeoisie of old always sought to acquire titles of nobility. The difference is that the nobility to be sought is that of the soul, the true kind, not statutory or legal nobility.
The True Benefit of Wealth Should Be Contentment
If wealth is a blessing, it should enable us to surpass the lower stages of Maslow’s pyramid of needs. However, what often happens is that people remain stuck in the stage of accumulating wealth, and their lives revolve around possession. As the saying goes, people end up being possessed by what they possess, instead of moving towards an absolute quest that could be enabled by the serenity that comes from material comfort.
Greed and the Search for Comfort Are Different
While we should all aspire to seek material comfort to have the opportunity to elevate our consciousness, we must also manage the impulses of greed that might manifest in this quest for comfort. If this work is not undertaken at the beginning of our search, it becomes very difficult to change, as greed is like a disease that affects the roots of a plant; if not contained, it eventually envelops the entire plant. Therefore, greed is an evil that must be addressed at its root before it corrupts our entire being.
You Are Already Wealthy; What You Must Do Is Pursue the Absolute
As initially mentioned, you are wealthier than you think. Your vain desires make you think you are poor. I say vain because most of your purchases could be eliminated if you adopted an Epicurean approach. Reminder:
[To live happily according to Epicurus, one must satisfy natural and necessary desires and neglect all others. There are three categories of natural and necessary desires:
• those related to life itself: drinking, eating, and sleeping
• those related to the well-being of the body (auchlèsia): protecting the body from the cold (staying near a fire) and from the elements (having shelter)
• those related to happiness (eudaimonia): the desire to philosophize and the desire for friendship (philia)
Other desires that do not fit into these categories are not essential for happiness according to Epicurus. Here are the other kinds of desire:
• Natural and non-necessary desires: sexual desire (satisfaction of sexual appetite) and the desire for beauty (aesthetic desire).
According to Epicurus, the desire to engage in sexual activity can be simply replaced either by physical effort, accomplished in sports or gymnastics, or by gymnosophy (a blend of nudity, contemplation, and meditation) or philosophical conversation with a friend.
The desire for beauty (such as through reading poems) is to be avoided if it involves a deviation from the truth. In this respect, he criticizes the tales of Homer that have contributed to spreading lies through attractive and mythical stories.
Non-natural and non-necessary desires: vain desires (“empty” (kenai): without object). These are desires that are unlimited, in contrast to the finiteness of nature. The more a desire is non-necessary, the harder it is to satisfy and the more suffering it causes, and thus it does not allow for ataraxia, the guarantee of happiness.]
Essentially, this is an approach that may seem extreme, and you are not obliged to follow it to the letter, but you can still be inspired by it. The Epicurean approach is decidedly minimalist regarding desires. Knowing how to rid yourself of non-natural and non-necessary desires allows you to focus on the essentials: the natural and necessary desires, foremost among which are those related to happiness (philosophizing and maintaining friendships).
The purpose of wealth, therefore, is to transcend the first two stages of natural and necessary desires to become philosophical and friendly, the perfect qualities for achieving happiness.
