I think in economic crisis the main problem of Igor, the main character of your new novel The Winner Stands Alone, will be to save his business but not love. What you think about this? And what you think about crisis?
Interesting that you mention the crisis because, in my eyes, this book talks exactly about the excesses that led to the current situation. The constant race for power, money, glamour, are the outward signs of a society that has made “consumption” the alpha and omega of human conduct. In this scenario, when a person is merely what he/she consumes, wears, and pretends – she gradually slips into this image, this collective illusion of perfection. But this collective “dream” reveals only that in order to exist you need to have – instead of simply being.
The crisis is bringing with its chaos, a sort of readjustment: people are realizing that there are other priorities and that they should focus on quality of life – rather than this frantic race for quantity.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
“Consumption = emptiness in the soul?
Dear Kealan, Unfortunately I cannot find out on which chapter, you have stopped reading!! ;] It is very interesting. My Greek version of the book consists of 525 pages. I think the Greek translation is always longer than the English one. When you find out what is happening I will be glad to know!! Magic, a Sing..?
LOVE,
Thelma.
Please tell me,is it possible for you to teach me to become a wizard?
In searching for the quality of life…you have to define what is good quality of life. Why does love have to be a part of that and why is it so difficult? Maybe I haven’t found the quality of love.
The notion that poor means having nothing is exposed for its foolishness when I consider my upbringing where making the most of what you have and making it despite what you didn’t have served as incubators for creativity.
I bought the Winner Stands Alone about ten days ago in my local book shop; well I bought one for myself and one for my mother! I began to read it instantly from where I stopped reading the book online… It was wonderful, I read on the couch, in the car and in bed. I put the book down on page 226; that was a week ago, the book was sitting by my bed side until last Saturday when I brought it to the sitting room, and now I am sitting here typing and the book is looking at me half read. I will read it, but the question I am asking myself is; what are the consequences of reading the book, why am I stopping myself from moving forward in the story? I sure I will find my answer when I pick the book back up again very soon.
My Goodness,
what a wonderful book this is for our time!!!!
Your book is Standing at the end of the tunnel!
Oh I hope it reaches all corners of the world, Especially all of Los Angeles LOL…
Much love!
To bring things to an absurd end-means to turn them into the opposite.
I think, this brings us to Paulo’s story of the frog in the boiling water slowly, slowly and get used to it OR being thrown at once in it and thus the reaction is immediate.
People become used in a situation and cannot see clearly the truth. A shock or a crisis is needed in order to be able to face reality and achieve ‘catharsis’.
LOVE,
Thelma.
I think people that thinks one need to possess fortunes in order to count are very immature, not to use another term,that is “stupid”. I had passed in my life both stages,the period of black misery,as well the period of wealthy life, with nothing to lack.But ,I understood in life we need to hang on spiritual things, in persons for whom we have feelings.For me will never be more worthy money than a person,or being.Money can be gain or loosed. But true love ,life is not so easy to create or to be found.I am not scorning money,I just think truth is always in the middle.
P.S.
One book I forgot on that list, and one of the best:
* The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less: How the Culture of Abundance Robs Us of Satisfaction
Concerning the subject of “over consumption” and the destructive race to own ever more and more, here are a few of my favorite books:
* NO LOGO (Naomi Klein)
* Having: Property and Possessions in Religious and Social Life
* NOT FOR SALE: In defense of Public Goods
* What The Market Does to People
* What is Property? (Proudhon)
* Property for people, not for profit: Alternatives to the Tyrrany of Capital
* the NO-NONSENSE guide to WORLD POVERTY
There are many spiritual books that also address the subject, and theological perspectives do shed a great deal of light on the concept of “over-consumption,” but the books listed above offer also a solid economic, philosophical and psychological understanding of the terms “ownership” and “property,” and offer a good understanding of the consequences, both personal and social, when we allow our ever-growing “desire for more” to go un-checked. I highly recommend any or all of these books to anyone who feels like maybe their possessions have actually begun to possess them. Also, to anyone who has looked around at those who have not, and thought, “Maybe I have just a little too much.”
More on this later, but gotta go for now.
Thank you, Paulo, for sharing Nathalia’s question with us, as well as your answer. Thank you also for writing a book that brings this subject to light.
The “over consumption” has taken its toll onto the nuclear family. People are slaves to their job in order to bring all that
“excess” that for most of the time we don’t even need. It has become a battle trying to keep up with the “Jones” so to speak.
:)