Good comment Michael. I think what it means is that we must reorient our perspective from comparing ourselves to others to comparing ourselves to ourselves. It is hard to do this as we get older and "wear" out. It's hard to be an optimist when you're 80, but if you're 80 you've lived longer than 99% of humanity. Optimism and gratitude have to be intentionally cultivated and fertilized and watered every day. Comparing time prices over time prices does that for me.
I am curious what you think this means for human material progress in general.
I have noticed, for example, that the only time that I do not take my health for granted is immediately after I got sick or injured. That only lasts for a few days. Not sure what this means for human material progress, though.
Does it mean that material progress will never have a positive effect on human psychology?
Does it mean that the inevitable short-term dips in economic growth enable us to appreciate “good times?”
Does it mean that we should voluntarily, but temporarily, reject modern technology, so afterwards we can appreciate it benefits?
Good comment Michael. I think what it means is that we must reorient our perspective from comparing ourselves to others to comparing ourselves to ourselves. It is hard to do this as we get older and "wear" out. It's hard to be an optimist when you're 80, but if you're 80 you've lived longer than 99% of humanity. Optimism and gratitude have to be intentionally cultivated and fertilized and watered every day. Comparing time prices over time prices does that for me.
Minor typo in the opening quote.
"This phenomena of failing to count once blessings is of course not realistic ..."
Should be:
"This phenomena of failing to count [one's] blessings is of course not realistic ..."
Thanks for reading better than I do ;)
I am curious what you think this means for human material progress in general.
I have noticed, for example, that the only time that I do not take my health for granted is immediately after I got sick or injured. That only lasts for a few days. Not sure what this means for human material progress, though.
Does it mean that material progress will never have a positive effect on human psychology?
Does it mean that the inevitable short-term dips in economic growth enable us to appreciate “good times?”
Does it mean that we should voluntarily, but temporarily, reject modern technology, so afterwards we can appreciate it benefits?