Over the weekend, I heard an NPR interview with financial guru John Bogle about his upcoming book, Enough. I gather the book expounds on the principles in this graduation ceremony speech by the same name. The business of finances takes from society rather than contributes to it, and if no one in the money management professions has a sense of contentment, when any amount of money is enough, then we will have the types of financial crises we’re having today, financiers leeching off industry and service employees to pad their own wallets. Bogle said:
. . . no matter what career you choose, do your best to hold high its traditional professional values, now swiftly eroding, in which serving the client is always the highest priority. And don’t ignore the greater good of your community, your nation, and your world. After William Penn, “we pass through this world but once, so do now any good you can do, and show now any kindness you can show, for we shall not pass this way again.”
Enough appears to discuss the same idea as another book two years called The Number. The Number encouraged readers to decide how much they can live with and be content with it. I’m sure it would agree that the world, in Bogle’s words, “never has enough conscience, nor enough tolerance, idealism, justice, compassion, wisdom, humility, self-sacrifice for the greater good, integrity, courtesy, poetry, laughter, and generosity of substance and spirit. . . the great game of life is not about money; it is about doing your best to build the world anew.”
But can a materialist really be content? Can a consumerist ever have enough? When you define yourself by your affluence, when you seek a type of happiness in shopping, collecting, or displaying your purchases to others, how can any arbitrary limit be enough? Contentment with life must come from outside the markets (Matthew 6:25-24, Matthew 10:29-31).
True ’nuff. Eventually, you’re just keeping score.
Although (to immediate nuance myself), a great advantage of affluence is the ability to give charitably.
If wanting more stuff makes me cheat, it’s bad. If it makes me think how I can produce something useful to other people, is it still bad?
What Bogle appears to be arguing for is a healthy humanism, which is an understanding of the innate value of humanity and being a man or woman. He’s arguing against the vices greed and envy which afflict all worldviews, but I mentioned materialism and consumerism because I think Americans have those two diseases more than any others.
Materialism tells us we are as valuable as our possessions and personal wealth. We are meaningful to the world to the extent that we own things or control assests. Consumerism tell us to value ourselves as purchasing agents. Our inner peace should come from the thrill of buying, shopping, barganing, and any other commercial transaction. I think those worldviews work against contentment and keep us from declaring what amount is enough.
Bogle says life is about doing your best to build the world anew. I disagree. I think most people believe life is about being happy and/or content. However they manage to define it, they seek the inner quiet of peace or the thrill of happiness, and they won’t find it apart from God the Father.