June 29, 2007
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More, more, more
The MORE I think about it, the MORE I keep leaning towards the notion that so many of our troubles and suffering in the world can be traced back to a toxic love affair with the word MORE; particularly to the relentless pursuit of MORE.
Our entire value system seems so wrapped up in 1000s of variations of MORE that we completely lose sight of even looking at “what is,” let alone contemplating the idea that maybe everything we need and want is already here. Even if that’s just “New Age Mumbo Jumbo,” I’d submit that most people are (at least) rather oblivious to whether or not the particular MORE they are pursuing has any ability to affect their deeper sense of happiness and well-being.
Maybe it’s just human nature. We spend our lives pouring MORE water on the fire, rather than pausing to figure out what’s burning. Maybe I have grown cycnical because I have spent so much time “mapping” the fires of my personal hell(s)… maybe I just have a twisted perspective on how the Universe Works.
Like many, I am what some people would call a “Seeker.” I suppose Seekers “seek” different things, from inner peace to huge piles of money. For the most part, I am a Seeker in the psychological/spiritual/psychic realm. My days of Seeking in the physical/material world are largely behind me.
One of the things I learned along the way is that most people driven by “seeking” (this would include myself) carry around something that feels like a “hole.” The thing about a hole is that it implies the “absence of” something. And so– due to our own fears, and pressures from society around us– we go about finding an assortment of “things,” so we can put MORE stuff into our hole, in the hopes it would go away.
The irony of that paradigm is that a hole with a bunch of stuff in it is STILL a hole. The hole hasn’t gone away, it has merely been disguised; decorated; camouflaged. The second irony is that we often “misplace” our efforts… that is, we try to use “objects” to fill a hole created by a loss of “feelings.”
Maybe MORE is not “bad,” in and of itself. “Bad” is a nebulous term, at the best of times. When the Lion eats the Gazelle, it’s good for the Lion, but bad for the Gazelle. Is the desire for MORE Love a bad thing? Probably not. How about the desire for MORE power? Or MORE money? Or MORE designer sneakers?
I guess that’s not the point. The point is knowing our hole. Because with knowing, we might– just might– be able to fill ourselves with MORE of something that will actually make the hole go away. A hole created from a lack of love cannot be filled with new shoes (sorry, ladies!), nor with risky behavior, gambling, or alcohol. It can only be filled with Love, because that is what was removed, in the first place. And that can be tricky business… especially if you’re not entirely sure what Love is….
Comments (13)
you have me laughing out loud. i’m sorry. but…new shoes? the right pair of boots or shoes? happiness.
Well put… but damn it some shoes just have to be bought.
No, seriously you are 100% right. I agree. Being a skeeker myself; I intend to seek out the answer in how to fill the emptyness inside of me. I finally feel like I am on the right track though. Thank the higher powers that be for that. Woot!
Later…
The whole dynamic of existence is based on ever calling forth new desires. Here, we can’t get away from it. There will always be something more we want, even after we get what we feel will fulfill us (after careful self-inspection or not). If we “enlighten” ourselves, even still – while here in this existence – we’ll want to expand our goals to beyond just self. We’ll want to help others, immediately around us or across the world. It’s in our nature. face it, we’re basically good. Wanting more things along our way is only part of the evolution of who we are. It’s not bad to want more.. .it’s just that particular person’s next step. Sometimes we just need to exhaust other avenues before we turn towards something that really can take us towards more fulfilment. Everyone is doing it. Many of us are stuck in certain holding patterns, true enough. But, we all have the potential to break through. It’s all good
. You have a great desire to understand life; it’s wonderful, truly. In fact, intense. 
Not that I fancy myself any great pundit, but two short points occurred to me reading this nice piece. First, having tasted at -least-simulated-nirvana chemically, I will forever have the feeling that amy arbitrary moment in a life could in principle be ‘more exotic, more revelatory, more ineffable, etc. This is a curse and a blessing, and was nicely explained to me before the fact. And the second point is that man’s/woman’s ceaseless striving is what makes us unique and potentially the capstone of evolution; the evil is in the confusion of acquisition of worthless assets with aspiring to ‘more’ greatness. Not to call a nice sensible pair of shoes ‘worthless’, mind you.(I had a ‘shoe-failure-incident’ at work a few days ago, and would have given half my kingdom for one more shoe.. the left one, as I recall.)
Know your hole…that’s a new one, and a keeper. For me the hole was the “not-good-enough” hole…lack of love…it’s been a long bootstrappin’ journey uphill. Now I buy shoes for my feet and not my hole
I am here and now. A twinkle and then I’m gone. Thank you. I always love to read what you write.
I think we are here to learn to be joyful and create. Judi
WHAT! No new SHOES!!! COME ON MAN!!
I think my issues of more have to do with security. I want more money so Im not homeless or starving. I want more money so I can have a house and some security…. and a education. Now that sounds all well and dandy but it gets really frustrating when these worries just beat at you for a sense of wanting more when clearly… Im not in any threat of being homeless, starving, or whatever.
I do however agree with everything you are saying.
ok, why do I have deja vu here?
is this a re-post?
weird.
ok yeah on the “hole” thing. and i suddenly feel fortunate that I recognized the pressure for material gain…and I guess that’s cuz everyone’s out there filling their hole and it became status quo…anyhow, the seeking is fun, though. so if i manage to “grow” love into the hole and fill it, does that mean i won’t be seeking anymore? cuz that doesn’t sound fun to me! can i have both?
Once you hit your 40′s and have a job where you’re on your feet all day, the shoe thing goes away. I’m all about comfort now. Seriously though, I know the hole I carry needs love and I struggle to keep from adding food and bad relationships to it. I am trying instead to find other things and people to love. Great post.
So true!
Great post! I wish I’d read this BEFORE I made an appointment to see a shrink about my hole.
damn…you hit the nail on the head. glad my thumb wasn’t in the way.
One of my favourite lines is from the City of Angels where Nick Cage’s character has become human leaving the angel life behind and the woman he loves dies…when asked if it was worth it would he do it again he says “I would give up an enternity to spend a few minutes with her in my arms”…Love is like that, no matter how brief you would not trade it for anything…I know that Love is where we find and cherish it….The need for more is what drives our species to discover…whats over that next hill….like most things it too gets twisted, I’m happy you’re a seeker of truth… ‘Til The next