Embracing the Priceless

Reflection: #24

There are few things in life as luxurious and fulfilling as a lazy Sunday spent reading a great book, and today's indulgence was Moby Dick, which, amazingly I had never read.

I think we probably underrate the power of fiction, and especially classic fiction in the modern world. We've become such a rational, nihilistic, free-market society that commercial interests, if we're not careful, will eat everything in sight and everything inside of us. If there is an almighty dollar to be made, then someone will try to make it. And, if the love of money is the root of all evil, then despite the good things that capitalism can accomplish, we have an Achilles heel and that is this: Everything new, everything beautiful, everything good, everything enriching, if there is a buck to be made in it, will be turned into the lowest common denominator, into a cheap commodity.

For it's not truly software that's eating the world, it's commerce. We even have a word for it, to "monetize" something. Pay attention, if you undertake any endeavor, someone will ask you, "how do you plan to monetize that?"

We can't, individually, fix society, but we can fix ourselves. And if enough of us fix ourselves, that is a movement. As commerce eats the world via monetization, that trend points to the very way out its hungry embrace. The trend points to the very way you can embrace your humanity: Embrace happiness. And embrace enlightenment.

Look for the things that cannot be monetized and you will find the very things that are priceless. There isn't much money to be made in classic literature, like Moby Dick, since it is out of copyright. For if it is no longer monetizable, it is now, simply art for art's sake. And so, read fiction. Read classic books. Go outside. Notice beauty. Spend time listening to music, really listening. The listening is the point, for music is art and does not exist only for background noise. Enjoy the blissful flavor of a sip of wine. Sit outside and watch the clouds go by. Play your guitar. Pet your dog and look into her eyes and connect with the consciousness of the universe that powers all of us, your dog included. Enhance your brain with literature and give up listicles.

And most of all, create for the sheer joy of creation and not for the "likes" you'll get on Instagram. These things and and infinitely more are there for you to take and enjoy. And they are gifts from God.

Give unto God what is God's and don't worry so much about how to monetize what is Caesar's.

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