On 'control'.
People like feeling in control of their life. The Stoics we're perhaps the biggest control freaks, a neurotic version of Cynicism I would say. But, if we're all Cynics then much wouldn't get done around the world.
So, what is it about control that gives us a good feeling about our relation to the world and society?
Paradoxically, the less you own the more in control you will probably feel. By which, I don't mean to say that we should renounce all worldly goods and start praying together. So, is there some golden mean of 'control' towards which we ought to strive towards? Can one ever have enough 'control'?
So, what is it about control that gives us a good feeling about our relation to the world and society?
Paradoxically, the less you own the more in control you will probably feel. By which, I don't mean to say that we should renounce all worldly goods and start praying together. So, is there some golden mean of 'control' towards which we ought to strive towards? Can one ever have enough 'control'?
Comments (8)
I treat life more like a sailor might treat a voyage, in that I have moderate goals that I navigate towards always ready and willing to change direction as the situation and my skills require. In this manner I learn.
Amen Rich. Amen.
Quoting Rich
Until the damn boat sinks, then we're done.
One thing an individual can do is save some money--enough to get by on, living cheaply, for 6 months. Let's say that one can live cheaply for $2000 a month. Save up $12,000. If you have enough money to live on (cheaply) for 6 months, you will be able to afford getting fired from a job. If you get fired, you can collect unemployment for 6 months -- and still have another 6 months left.
If you have $12,000 in the bank (hell, if you have $5,000 in the bank) you can weather minor emergencies. Major emergencies -- no, but then, if they are major enough, nobody can weather them without big problems.
If you have enough to live cheaply for 6 months, you can afford to work on and off to keep from going broke too quickly. $12,000 gives you a significant amount of control, and freedom. As much less than $2000 a month that you can live on, the less you have to save.
How do you save 12,000 a month? You live cheaply and save as large a percentage of your income as you can manage. You can have bad habits and minor vices, but they have to be inexpensive. You take public transit instead of buying a car. You live in a little apartment instead of a nice big one. You wear your clothes out. You don't travel, except by hitchhiking, staying with friends or tricks, or the sleaziest of hotels.
Doesn't this take all the joy out of life? Not really. For one thing, this is temporary. It's a short term project to save enough to allow you to take risks with employment. Having college debt, a mortgage, credit card debt, and expensive vices means YOU HAVE TO KEEP WORKING UNTIL YOU DIE. You can't stop, because a swarm of debt collecting vultures is always circling overhead, waiting for a missed payment.