DP 170. One who looks upon the world as a bubble and a mirage, him the King of Death sees not.
One of these assumptions is that things possess innate qualities that can make us happy and save us from uncertainty, loneliness, and fear. If only we had more power and influence, we would be happy. If we had a relationship, we wouldn’t feel so lonely. If we had more money or beauty, we wouldn’t feel so insecure. Individually, we each have the tendency to seek a comfortable state of self-deception. Society offers us the promise of security: you need this, you need that; hey, look over here; this will make you bigger, this will make you smaller; this will make you younger and more vital. We hear our mother’s voice, our father’s voice, the voices in our community, on the radio, in the paper, on our box of Wheaties . . . and we respond. But the world of things is not reliable. The idea that it can provide lasting happiness is a little unspoken lie we all agree on, although experience tells us otherwise.
One of these assumptions is that things possess innate qualities that can make us happy and save us from uncertainty, loneliness, and fear. If only we had more power and influence, we would be happy. If we had a relationship, we wouldn’t feel so lonely. If we had more money or beauty, we wouldn’t feel so insecure. Individually, we each have the tendency to seek a comfortable state of self-deception. Society offers us the promise of security: you need this, you need that; hey, look over here; this will make you bigger, this will make you smaller; this will make you younger and more vital. We hear our mother’s voice, our father’s voice, the voices in our community, on the radio, in the paper, on our box of Wheaties . . . and we respond. But the world of things is not reliable. The idea that it can provide lasting happiness is a little unspoken lie we all agree on, although experience tells us otherwise.
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