I think this is somewhat more intricate, with many subtle human motivations lying between need and greed. Certainly few Americans live anything close to strictly on need, and of those that do, many are not doing so voluntarily. Our economy and our culture is just not set up that way. When does want or appreciation or desire cross the line into greed? Is being a hoarder greedy, or is some other driver at work? Staving off thoughts of mortality, perhaps? What about collectors, or connoisseurs?
I suspect many of the n + 1s here are a slightly different breed than any of these categories. We've become infatuated with the bicycle as one of the more amazing, and more accessible, machines ever created, and enjoy exploring it in its many permutations and variations. We are very lucky in that respect, as the bicycle has only been in existence for the tiniest sliver of human history. And the ability of the average citizen to buy, store, and feed way more bicycles than he or she needs, and endlessly discuss said bicycles on the internets, is due mainly to the high per capita use of energy that we have been enjoying for the last century or so. But, as all things do eventually, that high energy consumption, and the many benefits that come with it, is winding down. That said, I think you are right that too much of anything, including bicycles, can ultimately impair contentment and gratitude, and I am doing my best to release some of my bicycle fixation --and some of my bicycles. I just have one or two more projects to go here... On Friday, April 7, 2017 at 7:26:01 PM UTC-4, LeahFoy wrote: > > ...In my 30s I have decided greed is a very unattractive quality that I > saw in myself. I figured greed was something worth guarding my heart > against, and I decided the antidote is contentment + gratitude. ... > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
