Remain hungry
#295
My Dear Friend of Democracy,
We all strive for prosperity. For good reasons. But there is a downside. The more wealthy we become, the less we value the essentials.
Perhaps no one has captured this dilemma better than the American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell in his painting "Freedom from Want".
The painting was created in November 1942. All the people in the picture were friends and family of Rockwell in Arlington, Vermont, photographed individually and painted into the scene.
The work depicts a group gathered around a dinner table, probably on Thanksgiving Day.
What stands out at first glance: While the meal is served, nobody notices it. Everyone is busy with something else. Happy, content, but apparently not particularly hungry, otherwise the smell of the roasting would have drawn attention to the food.
It's both a blessing and a tragedy if you don’t have to be hungry but if you are not hungry if such a meal is served, right?
How can this dilemma be solved? How can we remain hungry but not in need?
By realizing that prosperity is based on conditions. Conditions that we must constantly work to maintain. They are not given. Borders can be closed. Trade can come to a standstill. Cooperation can turn into hostility. The monitoring and compliance with fundamental laws can end. Elected governments can drown democracy. Peace can end, and war can begin.
Nothing lasts forever, even if it sometimes seems that way. We should not succumb to this illusion. We can and should remain hungry because satiety is always only temporary.
See you in Democracy,
Johannes