Before anything, I would like to make it clear, there is never a need for armed combat to arise in the development of human evolution. That being said, as you look around the “modern” world with and abundance of commercials and every other method of pushing ideology on people one might ask “was I born to shop and pick and chose the colors, fabrics and designs of my electronic devices? Or is there something more?”
It is a marvelous thing that humanity has reached the point where instant communication with loved ones is possible almost anywhere in the world. It is of great achievement that we have the abilities to orbit space, literally see new worlds and cure diseases that give us the opportunity to appreciate our existence that much longer. Yet, something beneath the surface of our immediate mind propels us to do things that don’t make sense. In the incredible world that we live in today, why would an individual seek to commit sadistic crimes when there is more than enough in this world to enjoy? We see ideologies arise that justify death of national neighbors. We see things that can no longer be described as hyper-consumption, but rather æther-consumption.
I use these two words, not for the sake of hyperbole but for the sake of clarity. Consider this: A man with a net worth in excess of $100 million. He lives a more than comfortable life, as he should. In this case let’s say he is a self-made-man and deserves to reap the fruits of his labor. Now further imagine, that he has reached the point, where the average luxuries of man are of no pleasure to him. He has taken unnecessary spending to placate his desires to feel appreciated or fulfill his self worth. Suppose he has just bought his third Ferrari. While it is difficult for 95% of the worlds population to imagine and instance where even one Ferrari is necessary, for the sake of the argument let’s suppose there was some business reason that the Ferrari assisted his appearance to the point that he could make a successful deal. With this third Ferrari however, one has to ask “why?” What possible reason might he have for that level of luxurious display of wealth or, perhaps in his mind, power. Not only is it pragmatically unnecessary he is participating in the consumption of global æther.
To further define my description here of æther, lets call it the internal life force that drives any living thing to pursue further sustenance in life. While this man is not directly or literally stealing the food out of another’s mouth, he is indirectly. The amount of effort, time and resources he would require to go beyond giving a man a meal to eat, and give him the means to earn meals is nothing. He does not have to give to the homeless or donate to an unknown charity, but there will be an individual in his life (no matter who he is) that could use his assistance. He knows an individual that with his help, will not die, but continue to live, giving that man the opportunity to contribute to the world. This wealthy man, has the opportunity to give æther to the world.
-Calvin
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