Happiness requires restraint

Either you’re happy with very little, not burdening yourself excessively, because happiness is inside you, or you’ll get nowhere. This is not a justification of poverty. It’s a justification of restraint. But we’ve invented a consumer society that constantly seeks growth. When there’s no growth, it’s a tragedy.

We’ve invented a mountain of excessive needs. You have to constantly buy, throw away. These are our lives that we’re breaking. When I buy something, or when you buy it, we’re not paying with money. We’re paying with that time of our lives that we were forced to spend earning that money.

The only difference is that it’s impossible to buy life. Life passes. And that is terrible.”

Jose Mujica. The poorest president.