The Myth-Conception of Necessity
Posted by Chris at September 11th, 2007
What do you think of when you hear the word “necessity”? For most of us, it means something that we must do, even if we would prefer not to do it. Now I’ve never cared much for that word, “must”. Smacks of slavery to me. You see, I believe strongly that anytime we are forced by “necessity” to do something that we would prefer not to do, we are entrapped in a form of slavery. When that slavery is economic, we are enslaved to the coin. The sixth behavior tells us not to let money stand idle. That suggests that money is our slave, not the reverse.
The bottom line to all of this is that there is no such thing as necessity! I hear howls of protest. Yes, I said it, and I would do so again. Necessity is a myth. It’s based solely in the expectations of others. How can you follow your own path if you are constantly trying to navigate paths set for you by countless others? Every single thing you consider a necessity is, instead, a desire.
Still howling? Understandable. I hear the person typing, “Food is a necessity!” No, it isn’t. You could instead choose to starve. The universe will not come to a screeching halt if you did so. Yes, it would be a little less rich, a little less interesting, without your presence, but it would continue.
“What about shelter?” Same answer. You could choose to live under an overpass or mooch off of family or friends or sleep in your car. I’m not saying you should choose these things. I wouldn’t. I am just saying that you could. The fact that you don’t choose to do those things means that your desires include not starving, not being homeless, not being a burden to family or friends. That’s completely ok. Just recognize the fact that these are choices, not necessities.
What’s the difference? Simple. A choice is something you control. A necessity is something imposed upon you that you cannot control. Simple, yet elegant. And the whole crux of the Tao revolves around this wheel of logic. If you accept the logic that you cannot walk anyone’s path but your own, then you must also reject the concept of necessity. And once you have freed yourself from that notion, you are prepared to look at all the things on your “list of desires” (that’s how I see my budget) far more critically, objectively, and frugally than you ever could before!
…enjoy the ride…
