Abhijit Naskar's Blog - Posts Tagged "materialism"
Dollar of Disparity (The Sonnet)
Millions of people go without food,
For some privileged nimrods to afford their luxuries.
Millions of people have no access to essentials,
So that celebrities can buy their lamborghinis.
The difference between phony activists and a reformer,
Is not in what they say but in their lifestyle and action.
In a world that still suffers from the lack of essentials,
Indulgence in luxury is human rights violation.
What people do with their money is not a private affair,
Each penny above necessity belongs to social welfare.
One who talks of equality while riding in a Rolls Royce,
Is the last person to be concerned of people's despair.
None has a right to luxury till all can access necessities.
Every dollar spent on luxury is a dollar of disparity.
For some privileged nimrods to afford their luxuries.
Millions of people have no access to essentials,
So that celebrities can buy their lamborghinis.
The difference between phony activists and a reformer,
Is not in what they say but in their lifestyle and action.
In a world that still suffers from the lack of essentials,
Indulgence in luxury is human rights violation.
What people do with their money is not a private affair,
Each penny above necessity belongs to social welfare.
One who talks of equality while riding in a Rolls Royce,
Is the last person to be concerned of people's despair.
None has a right to luxury till all can access necessities.
Every dollar spent on luxury is a dollar of disparity.
Billion-Dollar Grave (The Sonnet)
All our life we work hard to buy golden chains.
With which we then bind ourselves.
What's the point of living as fancy slaves?
What will we do with our billion-dollar graves?
We sit on our couch covering our eyes,
Then we yell, why everything is so very dark!
But no one hears for they are also shouting,
Praying for a messiah to bring back life's spark.
We've forged fascist fences out of all our gold,
And have placed them as walls around us.
Then we shout out - help, help,
And beg to be saved by the universe!
Greed of dollar is the toxic mold on the green of life.
Life flourishes on moderation, not consumerist strife.
With which we then bind ourselves.
What's the point of living as fancy slaves?
What will we do with our billion-dollar graves?
We sit on our couch covering our eyes,
Then we yell, why everything is so very dark!
But no one hears for they are also shouting,
Praying for a messiah to bring back life's spark.
We've forged fascist fences out of all our gold,
And have placed them as walls around us.
Then we shout out - help, help,
And beg to be saved by the universe!
Greed of dollar is the toxic mold on the green of life.
Life flourishes on moderation, not consumerist strife.
Praise (The Sonnet)
In praising myself,
I only insult myself.
In pleasing myself,
I bring misery upon myself.
Lots of things I bought,
Plenty places I travelled.
Nothing gave me the bliss I seek,
No matter how much I groveled.
Then I stopped wanting things,
I ceased craving for gratification.
I placed my heart at your feet,
Finally I found my absolution.
Long was I lost in the sleep of pride.
Erasing the self I found my light.
I only insult myself.
In pleasing myself,
I bring misery upon myself.
Lots of things I bought,
Plenty places I travelled.
Nothing gave me the bliss I seek,
No matter how much I groveled.
Then I stopped wanting things,
I ceased craving for gratification.
I placed my heart at your feet,
Finally I found my absolution.
Long was I lost in the sleep of pride.
Erasing the self I found my light.
Sonnet of Education | Mücadele Muhabbet
Competition is for horses,
Education is for the human.
Either education or competition,
You can have only one.
Education ought to build character,
Not to raise snobs hooked on cash.
Love is needed, kindness is needed,
It won't come by raising tribal trash.
Cash-building education is uneducation,
For it only sustains self-absorption.
Character-building education is ascension,
For it paves the way for true civilization.
One can be educated yet a filthy savage.
True sign of education lies in selflessness.
Education is for the human.
Either education or competition,
You can have only one.
Education ought to build character,
Not to raise snobs hooked on cash.
Love is needed, kindness is needed,
It won't come by raising tribal trash.
Cash-building education is uneducation,
For it only sustains self-absorption.
Character-building education is ascension,
For it paves the way for true civilization.
One can be educated yet a filthy savage.
True sign of education lies in selflessness.
What is Happiness | High Voltage Habib
What is Happiness?
Happiness is a myth. It doesn’t exist.
What we call happiness is merely a temporary sensation of excitement that we receive upon the fulfillment of our expectations.
It’s not happiness, it’s addiction.
And since we have made a society out of this insane pursuit of addiction, our brain is never at a healthy state to actually fathom and more importantly produce true happiness.
And what is true happiness?
Contentment.
You’ve been working for hours. You haven’t had the time to even have some water. Finally you finish your work and drink a glass of water. The sheer feeling of joy that you receive at that moment – that’s happiness, that’s contentment.
You haven’t been near your loved ones for days, for you’ve been away for work. Finally you get home and take them in your arms – that’s happiness, that’s contentment.
Now let me tell you what is not happiness, what is in fact an unhealthy addiction which only ruins a person’s life both mentally and physically.
You’ve been using the same smartphone for over a year now. Suddenly the brand announces the release of a new model. And you get all hyped up to buy that model, despite the fact that you don’t really need it. That’s addiction – that’s an illness.
You visit a new place on vacation. But instead of experiencing that place with your heart, you bring your phone out and waste the entire vacation on taking pictures to post on social media.
That’s addiction, that’s illness. You know why? Because when you get home, you realize, you have plenty of pictures of the vacation on your phone alright, but you have no meaningful memory of that place in your heart.
In usual circumstances, our brain doesn’t distinguish between addiction and true joy. It can only do that, when we stop running and start living. Because at the end of the day, joy is not about fulfilling expectations, joy is about learning to live beyond expectations.
Happiness is a myth. It doesn’t exist.
What we call happiness is merely a temporary sensation of excitement that we receive upon the fulfillment of our expectations.
It’s not happiness, it’s addiction.
And since we have made a society out of this insane pursuit of addiction, our brain is never at a healthy state to actually fathom and more importantly produce true happiness.
And what is true happiness?
Contentment.
You’ve been working for hours. You haven’t had the time to even have some water. Finally you finish your work and drink a glass of water. The sheer feeling of joy that you receive at that moment – that’s happiness, that’s contentment.
You haven’t been near your loved ones for days, for you’ve been away for work. Finally you get home and take them in your arms – that’s happiness, that’s contentment.
Now let me tell you what is not happiness, what is in fact an unhealthy addiction which only ruins a person’s life both mentally and physically.
You’ve been using the same smartphone for over a year now. Suddenly the brand announces the release of a new model. And you get all hyped up to buy that model, despite the fact that you don’t really need it. That’s addiction – that’s an illness.
You visit a new place on vacation. But instead of experiencing that place with your heart, you bring your phone out and waste the entire vacation on taking pictures to post on social media.
That’s addiction, that’s illness. You know why? Because when you get home, you realize, you have plenty of pictures of the vacation on your phone alright, but you have no meaningful memory of that place in your heart.
In usual circumstances, our brain doesn’t distinguish between addiction and true joy. It can only do that, when we stop running and start living. Because at the end of the day, joy is not about fulfilling expectations, joy is about learning to live beyond expectations.
Sonnet of Consumerism | Giants in Jeans
Ever wonder in a world of consumerism,
Who’s the consumer, who’s the product!
You may think that you are the one owning things,
But it’s the things that own you, head and heart.
When unmoderated materialism is the world’s norm,
Consumer is the product, product does the consuming.
And this insanity is revered as industrial growth,
Then they wonder, why is there so much suffering!
The point is, your insecurity is good for business,
The shallower you are, the more your pocket empties.
But if you don’t wanna end up at la casa de loco,
Stop living in products and focus on memories.
Corporations chasing revenue cause economic disparity.
Buy less, buy local, to construct a sustainable economy.
Who’s the consumer, who’s the product!
You may think that you are the one owning things,
But it’s the things that own you, head and heart.
When unmoderated materialism is the world’s norm,
Consumer is the product, product does the consuming.
And this insanity is revered as industrial growth,
Then they wonder, why is there so much suffering!
The point is, your insecurity is good for business,
The shallower you are, the more your pocket empties.
But if you don’t wanna end up at la casa de loco,
Stop living in products and focus on memories.
Corporations chasing revenue cause economic disparity.
Buy less, buy local, to construct a sustainable economy.
Character No Commodity (The Sonnet) | Mücadele Muhabbet
Character, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for luxury.
Integrity, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for security,
Virtues, I say, are no commodity,
To be traded in for applause.
Values, I say, are no commodity,
To be traded in for comfort.
Warmth, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for image.
Humility, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for respect.
A life without honor, I say,
Is a life totally gone astray.
To be traded in for luxury.
Integrity, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for security,
Virtues, I say, are no commodity,
To be traded in for applause.
Values, I say, are no commodity,
To be traded in for comfort.
Warmth, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for image.
Humility, I say, is no commodity,
To be traded in for respect.
A life without honor, I say,
Is a life totally gone astray.
Sustainability is Myth | Sermon of Sustainability
Remember the three S – Society, Sustainability, Simplicity. This is the key to a healthy, harmonious and progressive civilization.
Where there is simplicity, there is sustainability. Donde hay simplicidad, hay sostenabilidad. A materialistic and self-absorbed world chasing after the so-called sustainable development goals is like a superobese dog chasing after its own tail.
In a self-absorbed world sustainability is a myth. In a simple and gentle world sustainability is the norm. So let’s forget about sustainability. Let’s forget about sustainable development goals. These are all gimmick. I’ll tell you why.
Sustainable development goals is actually the privileged lot’s code for ‘let’s screw this world with our narcissistic shenanigans, then we can make TV shows on us pretending to fix the world’s problems that we continue to create with our lavish, self-centric lifestyle.’ It’s not a global goal, it’s a global scam, sold by the rich to the rich at the expense of everybody else – at the expense of the working people of planet earth.
Am I being too harsh? Perhaps I am, but then again, this planet has never been the home of the human race, it has always been the home of the rich and privileged, while the rest of humanity slave their butt off, barely scraping by on hand-me-downs and leftovers. The privileged screw the world, then the privileged pretend to fix the world. What a joke!
So instead of focusing on intellectual pomposities like sustainable development goals, the next time you indulge in a luxury, ask yourself, is it a luxury you really need – if not, how many lives you could lift with the resources spent on that particular luxury!
Let me put it into perspective. One fancy apple watch could feed a family of four in the developing parts of the world for half a year. So, stop talking about sustainable development goals, and start practicing sustainable habits.
Where there is simplicity, there is sustainability. Donde hay simplicidad, hay sostenabilidad. A materialistic and self-absorbed world chasing after the so-called sustainable development goals is like a superobese dog chasing after its own tail.
In a self-absorbed world sustainability is a myth. In a simple and gentle world sustainability is the norm. So let’s forget about sustainability. Let’s forget about sustainable development goals. These are all gimmick. I’ll tell you why.
Sustainable development goals is actually the privileged lot’s code for ‘let’s screw this world with our narcissistic shenanigans, then we can make TV shows on us pretending to fix the world’s problems that we continue to create with our lavish, self-centric lifestyle.’ It’s not a global goal, it’s a global scam, sold by the rich to the rich at the expense of everybody else – at the expense of the working people of planet earth.
Am I being too harsh? Perhaps I am, but then again, this planet has never been the home of the human race, it has always been the home of the rich and privileged, while the rest of humanity slave their butt off, barely scraping by on hand-me-downs and leftovers. The privileged screw the world, then the privileged pretend to fix the world. What a joke!
So instead of focusing on intellectual pomposities like sustainable development goals, the next time you indulge in a luxury, ask yourself, is it a luxury you really need – if not, how many lives you could lift with the resources spent on that particular luxury!
Let me put it into perspective. One fancy apple watch could feed a family of four in the developing parts of the world for half a year. So, stop talking about sustainable development goals, and start practicing sustainable habits.
Disparity, Education and Economy | Handbook of Hatebusting
Every dollar spent on luxury is a dollar of disparity. Citizens of earth could force big tech to pay their employees fair wages tomorrow, if they just stop buying their fancy, overpriced products and go for humbler alternatives unless the companies bring down their disparities in salary.
The CEO may enjoy certain benefits of their position, but not until those working at the bottom can afford the fundamentals of life for their family. I’ll say it to you plainly. An employee wronged is a company wronged.
You see, trying to build a disparity-free economy pursuing revenue is like trying to achieve pregnancy through vasectomy. So long as greed drives the economy, it’s not economy, but catastrophe. So long as greed drives the industries, it’s not industrialization, it is vandalization.
Ambition to climb the ladder of status so that you could be on the affluent side of disparity, is no ambition of a civilized human, it’s the ambition of a caveman. So, before you pursue an ambition in life, educate yourself on a civilized definition of ambition.
Yet the situation in our world is so pathetic that that’s exactly the kind of ambition educational institutes sell. Schools and universities don’t teach you to build a civilized society free from disparity, they teach you clever tactics to be on the affluent side of disparity. This is not education, this is castration.
Concern for the society should be the bedrock of education – collective welfare should be the bedrock of economy – if not, we might as well start living as hobos on the streets, because with greed as the driving principle of education and economy, sooner or later all of us will end up on the streets.
The CEO may enjoy certain benefits of their position, but not until those working at the bottom can afford the fundamentals of life for their family. I’ll say it to you plainly. An employee wronged is a company wronged.
You see, trying to build a disparity-free economy pursuing revenue is like trying to achieve pregnancy through vasectomy. So long as greed drives the economy, it’s not economy, but catastrophe. So long as greed drives the industries, it’s not industrialization, it is vandalization.
Ambition to climb the ladder of status so that you could be on the affluent side of disparity, is no ambition of a civilized human, it’s the ambition of a caveman. So, before you pursue an ambition in life, educate yourself on a civilized definition of ambition.
Yet the situation in our world is so pathetic that that’s exactly the kind of ambition educational institutes sell. Schools and universities don’t teach you to build a civilized society free from disparity, they teach you clever tactics to be on the affluent side of disparity. This is not education, this is castration.
Concern for the society should be the bedrock of education – collective welfare should be the bedrock of economy – if not, we might as well start living as hobos on the streets, because with greed as the driving principle of education and economy, sooner or later all of us will end up on the streets.
Reject less, repair more | The Peace Testament
With superior sentience, come superior screw-ups. And this holds particularly true for industrialization. Even if we put aside carbon emission, in the year 2020 alone humankind has produced over 2 billion tonnes of trash, which is expected to rise over 70% by the year 2050.
Thus, in the name of progress we the gadget-mad gargoyles keep acting as the true eco-terrorists of the glorious dumping ground, called the planet earth. 2% of all our waste is e-waste. And the alarming bit here is that, that 2% e-waste comprises over 70% of our overall toxic waste.
So, what can you do, you ask? Simple – reject less, repair more. Try to make things last as long as possible, or pass them on to those who have need for them. Don’t let things go to waste, just because you can afford new ones.
For example, my kid cousin’s laptop has been acting up for some time now. But instead of buying them a new pc, I ordered the replacement for the faulty part and repaired the laptop myself. This way, we not only reduce our e-waste footprint on the planet, but in the process, we teach kids to value things.
The point is, whether you do it yourself or get it done by a professional, by practicing repair, you are actively participating in the making of a greener, cleaner and healthier world.
It’s not enough to be just a consumer, you gotta be a conscious consumer, otherwise there is no difference between a consumer and a slave. That is why, right-to-repair is not only a human rights issue, it is also an environmental issue. Repairing and recycling are the bedrock of sustainability. So I say again – reject less, repair more.
Thus, in the name of progress we the gadget-mad gargoyles keep acting as the true eco-terrorists of the glorious dumping ground, called the planet earth. 2% of all our waste is e-waste. And the alarming bit here is that, that 2% e-waste comprises over 70% of our overall toxic waste.
So, what can you do, you ask? Simple – reject less, repair more. Try to make things last as long as possible, or pass them on to those who have need for them. Don’t let things go to waste, just because you can afford new ones.
For example, my kid cousin’s laptop has been acting up for some time now. But instead of buying them a new pc, I ordered the replacement for the faulty part and repaired the laptop myself. This way, we not only reduce our e-waste footprint on the planet, but in the process, we teach kids to value things.
The point is, whether you do it yourself or get it done by a professional, by practicing repair, you are actively participating in the making of a greener, cleaner and healthier world.
It’s not enough to be just a consumer, you gotta be a conscious consumer, otherwise there is no difference between a consumer and a slave. That is why, right-to-repair is not only a human rights issue, it is also an environmental issue. Repairing and recycling are the bedrock of sustainability. So I say again – reject less, repair more.
