“Tantalus: The highest power is —
SENECA, THYESTES, 440
Thyestes: No power, if you desire nothing.”
We tolerate a lot of unhappiness in our lives, because we’re trying to get something that we want. We gotta have that promotion… so we put up with an asshole boss. We really want a new car… so we keep working at a job that sucks our soul. We want to be loved… so we behave and dress in ways that will please others.
But I keep thinking about work, especially. We all want a lot of things, especially fancy and shiny new things. Stuff which is newer and more high tech, and more cutting edge. The finer things. Things that will impress other people. And how do we get all this stuff? By working.
The more we want, the more we have to work. We become servants to our desire, and we trade our precious time (a non-renewable resource) for more stuff. We convince ourselves that all these hours making other people rich is worth it, if we can pretend to be rich ourselves as a result.
How do we break this cycle? How do we bust out of our servitude, and live the grander life we were intended to live? By realizing that want is the highest power — but only if you give it that power. If you give in to your desire for more stuff, you’ll have to work to get it. That’s because wanting = working.
If you gotta have it, you’re going to have to trade your time to get it. And personally, that’s not something I’m okay with anymore. I’m trying to keep my eyes on the real prize these days.
Insisting that you need to have the latest smartphone? That’ll cost you an extra week in the office, doing something that doesn’t inspire you.
Fabulous necklace that the wife can’t live without? You’ll spend an extra month at work, trading your time for an inanimate object. Think about that for a minute.
Beautiful house that you’ve always wanted, honestly beyond your budget, but gosh won’t everyone you know be so amazed, and for-the-love-of-God-think-of-the-dinner-parties? You’ll trade away the next decade paying it off.
Wanting puts you in servitude. It equals more working. There’s only one way to break free (and be happier), and that’s to reduce your want.