Limiting wants

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

One of the basic tenets of economics is that...'wants are unlimited and resources are limited'.

But are our wants really unlimited? Not really. It is not inevitable. From ancient days we have been taught (through religion and also through secular means) to control our desires and limit our wants. It has been fairly successful in the past.

If this principle is followed and all of us limit our wants and develop our motivations in such a manner as to minimize our requirements....most of the economic and social problems we face can be solved.

In recent decades, the race to gratify our increasing wants has resulted in a never ending spiral of searching for resources...again and again. It is not just the population problem. It is also our attitude problem.

As Mahatma Gandhi said 'There is enough for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed'. We have this illusion that being content and satisfied makes us tame and regressive while desires and dissatisfaction aid development.

Maybe we need a new religious movement (not necessarily based on existing ones) that could teach people the value of controlling our needs and desires and limiting our wants to what is readily available.

Any views?

Sriram

[Aruntraveller]

Maybe we need a new religious movement (not necessarily based on existing ones) that could teach people the value of controlling our needs and desires and limiting our wants to what is readily available.

I agree limiting our desires would be a good thing. I'm not sure the average consumer, when push comes to shove will tolerate it. What do you mean I can't have strawberries in December in the UK? It's my right. Import them now from sunnier climes. In my youth we used to rely much more on seasonal produce, now we are used to having everything available all the time.

I don't see that it needs to be religious.

Regardless of whether it is or not, you are doing nothing less than asking the system in place now (Capitalism) to change to a point where it is no longer the system it is now. That is not going to happen voluntarily. Capitalist consumerism drives economies. The people in charge of the economies have no interest in changing the status quo.

Of course you could always go for a revolution.......

[SteveH]

https://www.lifestylemovement.org.uk/#:~:text=Founded%20in%201972%2C%20the%20Lifestyle%20Movement%20is%20a,has%20the%20chance%20to%20live%20a%20fulfilling%20life.

[Outrider]

Hi everyone,

One of the basic tenets of economics is that...'wants are unlimited and resources are limited'.

But are our wants really unlimited? Not really. It is not inevitable. From ancient days we have been taught (through religion and also through secular means) to control our desires and limit our wants. It has been fairly successful in the past.

If this principle is followed and all of us limit our wants and develop our motivations in such a manner as to minimize our requirements....most of the economic and social problems we face can be solved.

In recent decades, the race to gratify our increasing wants has resulted in a never ending spiral of searching for resources...again and again. It is not just the population problem. It is also our attitude problem.

As Mahatma Gandhi said 'There is enough for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed'. We have this illusion that being content and satisfied makes us tame and regressive while desires and dissatisfaction aid development.

Maybe we need a new religious movement (not necessarily based on existing ones) that could teach people the value of controlling our needs and desires and limiting our wants to what is readily available.

Any views?

Sriram

I'd suggest that we've learnt, collectively, to moderate our wants BECAUSE we've realised that resources are limited (and more limited for some than others, of course) - it's not a moral stance so much as a pragmatic one.

The principle of limiting our desire to the current capacity of the world is not a new one, but is fundamentally stymied by the fact that the people operating above the average consumption are typically those with the policital and economic clout to drive the discussion, who have no desire to be the ones to take the hit and who advocate 'levelling up', to coin a phrase, those with less capacity for excess.

Gandhi's comments fail to appreciate that a considerable portion of the world - perhaps the majority - don't see subsistence living as sufficient, any more, but as soon as you step beyond that run into all sorts of social and cultural effects arising from competition and jealousy and envy.

As to the idea of implementing a new 'religion'? How would that differ from, or be more effective than, a political or cultural movement? Isn't  kerbing these sorts of excesses what a range of environmentally minded groups are already focussing on, limiting consumption?

O.

[Roses]

I don't have many material wants, I prefer to help other who have needs greater than mine.

[Sriram]

I'd suggest that we've learnt, collectively, to moderate our wants BECAUSE we've realised that resources are limited (and more limited for some than others, of course) - it's not a moral stance so much as a pragmatic one.

The principle of limiting our desire to the current capacity of the world is not a new one, but is fundamentally stymied by the fact that the people operating above the average consumption are typically those with the policital and economic clout to drive the discussion, who have no desire to be the ones to take the hit and who advocate 'levelling up', to coin a phrase, those with less capacity for excess.

Gandhi's comments fail to appreciate that a considerable portion of the world - perhaps the majority - don't see subsistence living as sufficient, any more, but as soon as you step beyond that run into all sorts of social and cultural effects arising from competition and jealousy and envy.

As to the idea of implementing a new 'religion'? How would that differ from, or be more effective than, a political or cultural movement? Isn't  kerbing these sorts of excesses what a range of environmentally minded groups are already focussing on, limiting consumption?

O.

I agree that the definition of 'subsistence' changes from time to time and community to community.  But the culture of 'unlimited wants' in some cultures and regions in the world, followed with immense wastage and damage to the environment.....is certainly something that can be changed through appropriate cultural  changes.  Priorities have to change.

When I said 'religion' I meant a cultural thrust towards limiting our wants with respect for the environment, along with limiting wastage and better distribution of resources. In earlier times, religions taught and enforced social equality, charity, gratitude and limiting desires.....which served a real purpose. 

Capitalism with its inequalities and conspicuous consumption is now the 'religion'....which has to change.   If we shift our priorities I am sure we can come up with a better system. It doesn't have to be 'capitalism' or 'communism'.