The Tao Of The 1%

From the Tao Te Ching 2,500 years ago, a reminder of the follies of materialism.

53. Insight

If the mind’s modest
I walk the great way.
Arrogance
is all I fear.

The great way is low and plain,
but people like shortcuts over the mountains.

The palace is full of splendor
and the fields are full of weeds
and the granaries are full of nothing.

People wearing ornaments and fancy clothes,
carrying weapons,
drinking and eating a lot,
having a lot of things, a lot of money;
shameless thieves.
Surely their way
isn’t the way.

From The Book of the Way and the Power of the Way, by Lao Tzu, from Ursula Le Guin’s beautiful translation.

Puts it all into perspective, doesn’t it.