SATURATION AND HUNGER The Divine Unity of Opposites

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

                                   
                     What is this hunger that drives me to create? Where is the innocence of desire?

                     Saturation and hunger are Biases, Polarities that motivate. The ability to understand the needs and wants of others is what we are as people. Appetites and aversions make us dynamic. I started with looking at ego hunger and saturation as being symptomatic of the human condition. As we strive for the approval of others, we risk overexposure in our pursuit of power and achievement. When we become saturated with the excesses of our accomplishments we can loose feeling. Having what we desire does not always relieve desire, it just changes the things we want. (Let's look at Ego Hunger and Ego Saturation.)

                      At my gym I see myself and the other guys posturing for a certain amount of recognition. Being a social club this is acceptable behavior within limits. When someone is saturated by the class struggle for fitness, trainers can become sadistic. The same can be true of the educationally saturated. Health and beauty, wealth and intelligence potentially can all be forms of conspicuous consumption. Just like in high school, trainers and athletes, the upperclass and the over-privileged can become conceited. Just being strong, beautiful, smart or rich doesn't make you happy. Youth and beauty fades, wealth is often wasted, and intelligence is devalued, But strength of character can't be bought. Nor can integrity be taught, it can only be appreciated.

                     No where is this more obvious, than in the case of "CLASS." If "Ignorance is Bliss," (Not true!) then, "Innocence is Beauty." (Very true!) Only an open heart can know the love of "Fellowship. We as people can share a common history of struggle and suffrage. Only through the convictions of our shared existences do we understand each others needs, hungers and dis-satisfactions. A pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled. How much greater is the fulfillment of a shared accomplishment. But not everyone feels this way. I have come to observe as many different kinds of poverty as there are excesses. Gluttony can occur in the hyper-fit. Spiritual obesity plagues the pious. Arrogance and cruelty are the weakness of the strong. Ugliness dogs the vain. For any virtue there can be vice. 

                    Even the word "class" can have conflicting meanings. Personal differences of class dominate the social hierarchy. A person can have everything and all the successes of their winnings and still begrudge the wages of the humble. Class is inescapable, rich or poor. Yet class is the last refuge of the elite. Self indulgent people can be miserable even in wealth. Poverty is not just about money. I'm living on a starving nun's budget, yet my quality of life is better than I could have ever hoped for. I know many who want for what their money can't buy. I take pride in getting to refuse clients who try to buy me.

                     I find great satisfaction in knowing that the very things that make me happy are not important to everyone and that kindness is not a competitive sport.