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Daily Question, February 24

How might gratitude change our economic paradigm?

  • Dusty Su

    Gratitude fills with contentment, so need less, then take better care of self, others, and the planet.

  • Tahsin Tabassum

    When you are grateful with what you have and you don’t really waste your money on buying things

  • Present Moment

    Gratitude teaches me the difference between want and need.

  • Malag
    Today's quote; "What is essential is invisible to the eye. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly." could be adapted to suit this question. What is ultimately essential cannot be bought or sold. It is through appreciation and gratitude that we see it. Yes there are fundamental human needs like food, water and shelter that are tragically unavailable to so many and where a change in how money flows would help. And there's also those unquantifiable parts of the web of life that are pric...

    Today’s quote; “What is essential is invisible to the eye. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.” could be adapted to suit this question. What is ultimately essential cannot be bought or sold. It is through appreciation and gratitude that we see it. Yes there are fundamental human needs like food, water and shelter that are tragically unavailable to so many and where a change in how money flows would help. And there’s also those unquantifiable parts of the web of life that are priceless, such as love, stillness, compassion etc. May humanity explore better both making the world better and sharing the unquantifiable..

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  • Elaine

    It would change it utterly. The economic paradigm depends on citizens believing we are not enough and we never have enough. Gratitude is rooted in a sense of intrinsic worth and sufficiency.

  • Mark Piper
    Gratitude is not a concept in micro or macro economics 101, regardless of policy or systems. At some point, maybe econ 201 you might get into some behaviors/psychology. But the concept of gratefulness within an economic paradigm seems foreign. Also, I know where this is going, and it's important, I just hope it doesn't lead to settling: a.k.a. economic systems that are unfair or unjust, but we do not attempt to ameliorate them for ones sake or for the sake of those injured by the system because ...

    Gratitude is not a concept in micro or macro economics 101, regardless of policy or systems. At some point, maybe econ 201 you might get into some behaviors/psychology. But the concept of gratefulness within an economic paradigm seems foreign. Also, I know where this is going, and it’s important, I just hope it doesn’t lead to settling: a.k.a. economic systems that are unfair or unjust, but we do not attempt to ameliorate them for ones sake or for the sake of those injured by the system because we settle for being grateful for whatever we have: whether just or unjust.

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  • Gabriel Arce

    I beginning to understand gratefulness despite economic challenges bring the big picture into perspective. Challenges is an opportunity in disguise if I choose to it embrace as such. Gratefulness is spiritual compass where you to take stock and realize that material insecurity plays a small role in the quality of your life.

  • Mica

    We might have much less expectation that ‘Things bring Happiness’

  • GCharlotte

    When one feels gratitude instead of guilt of having and doing one may save.

  • Katrina
    Some thoughtful responses here. I would like to think that gratitude centers me and provides me with a sense of balance - being grateful for what I have and reasonable about what I still need. But as far as our economic paradigm? Quite frankly I can't imagine what it would take to shift this paradigm to something more earth centered and gratitude based. The money machine is just too pervasive and has too much power. What I can personally do is not "buy" into it anymore than is westernly possible...

    Some thoughtful responses here. I would like to think that gratitude centers me and provides me with a sense of balance – being grateful for what I have and reasonable about what I still need. But as far as our economic paradigm? Quite frankly I can’t imagine what it would take to shift this paradigm to something more earth centered and gratitude based. The money machine is just too pervasive and has too much power. What I can personally do is not “buy” into it anymore than is westernly possible for me and my family, and teach and share gratitude as my way of living.

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  • Ed Schulte

    As the old folks say ..“Rich or poor its nice to have money”

    The old folks wisely know Gratitude is that which is an INTERNAL TRUTH not effected by external states of Being-ness. ( aka “the precious pearl” as the story goes ) And I had better add to be clearer here …Nor does TRUE Gratitude ever have any intentions of effecting change in the outer conditions.
    .
    An economic paradigm is, as the word implies, …an ever changing external condition in the world of separation.

  • Anneclaire

    I think our current economic paradigm is largely greed based. Most want to pile up the good stuff as high as possible.

    With gratitude, reverence for our beautiful creation and for each other, and common courtesy, our economic situation would become a blessing to all.

  • Michele

    Honestly I do not see how gratitude can change our economic paradigm…. being grateful will not help with finding cures for coronavirus or the cost of gas or anything money related. Politics is still money driven. There is so much division in our Country that more than gratitude is needed.

  • Sieger des Friedens
    gone through the reflections already placed in this space. Thanks a lot for the encouragement. gratitude and developing it as baseline for my own decision making process leads me into the conviction that there is abundance and we have a lot already. Gratitude affects at least one of my basic economic paradigmas: I have to get more - its not enough. For today, I am opening up conversations by sharing: From what do I/WE have enough and be grateful for? ..... then continuing with small talks or wh...

    gone through the reflections already placed in this space. Thanks a lot for the encouragement.
    gratitude and developing it as baseline for my own decision making process leads me into the conviction that there is abundance and we have a lot already. Gratitude affects at least one of my basic economic paradigmas: I have to get more – its not enough. For today, I am opening up conversations by sharing: From what do I/WE have enough and be grateful for? ….. then continuing with small talks or whatever. …. love it already now.

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  • devy

    Others have mentioned and I agree…if everybody in the world was grateful for what they have, then there would be no need for wanting more or « keeping up with the Jones ». Compassion would be forefront and the sharing of wealth would those who do not have would create balance and peace. With the reduction of wanting more material things, mother earths exploitation and destruction would cease.

    • Sieger des Friedens

      very encouraging, Thanks for circeling around sharing wealth and poverty, compassion, intention of balance and peace, ceasing exploitation and destruction…. which leads me to the question how can I contribute to life affirming actions individually and collectively (suggestions, procedures, decisions, ……) YES and we can change!

      • Antoinette

        Change is always happening anyway it may as well be a conscious decision to heal ourselves as well as the earth.

  • Kevin

    Good question. Let’s send this to the economists to answer!.

  • Antoinette
    Gratitude changes our economic perceptions in that we know we have enough. We are centered in the contentment of mindfulness awareness. We see that we have enough then we can let go of the fear of not having enough. We know with our heart that Mather Earth can provide for all of us. Gandhi said it best: Earth provides enough to satisfy every mans needs, but not every man's greed. Mahatma Gandhi And so with heart full of gratitude we can make the conscious choice to stop and think before we co...

    Gratitude changes our economic perceptions in that we know we have enough. We are centered in the contentment of mindfulness awareness. We see that we have enough then we can let go of the fear of not having enough. We know with our heart that Mather Earth can provide for all of us.
    Gandhi said it best: Earth provides enough to satisfy every mans needs, but not every man’s greed. Mahatma Gandhi
    And so with heart full of gratitude we can make the conscious choice to stop and think before we continue to consume out of fear.
    Thank you for today’s quote as well as thoughtful question.

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    • Sieger des Friedens

      like your opening thoughts of ….. we know, we have enough, letting go of fear, shift into concious choices as consumer and realizing that gratitude becomes (hopefully) the baseline for my decision making processes.

      • Antoinette

        Thanks I hope that people all do as well because Mother Earth needs is all to heal so she can heal too.

    • Cathy

      I try to write my thoughts to the Question For The Day before I read the previous posters’ thoughts. This morning no response came to me so I wanted to see what was being thought here. As always, I feel profound respect and gratitude for all of the authors’ thoughts put to paper, but what you wrote speaks to my soul, Antoinette. I appreciate that you could get these thoughts down as I seem to have needed to read this today. Thank you.

  • reality
    Our economic inerlocking and laced systems are based on scarcity, necessary to the global oligarchy's vacuum-up economics model; that only leaves a trickle left down when the vacuum is seldomly turned off. Yet, the Cosmos is based on nature's abundance, a completely decentralizing process. So, if people were to successfully study gratitude they could walk in nature's balance, giving back to her abundance; instead of deforming themselves to be good functioning machine parts replicating the tech...

    Our economic inerlocking and laced systems are based on scarcity, necessary to the global oligarchy’s vacuum-up economics model; that only leaves a trickle left down when the vacuum is seldomly turned off. Yet, the Cosmos is based on nature’s abundance, a completely decentralizing process. So, if people were to successfully study gratitude they could walk in nature’s balance, giving back to her abundance; instead of deforming themselves to be good functioning machine parts replicating the technocracies machine- etc.. Then and only then, the possibility of the existence of humanity would be real; now it’s 10 billion to one that it will not be extinct. As well, people would find themselves giving up addictions like destroying people to inflate their false-egos, etc., allowing for the probability of humanity learning to share; potentially stopping the murder through absentia of the 13,000 kids who die daily from lack of potable water and hunger- daily. Thanx for all you All do and don’t. Have a great eve’ 🙂 reality

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  • Trish

    When we’re grateful for our abundance it helps us to see what others don’t have. Sharing our resources, to include money, can change our world, creating more balance. We should not forget that money is power. If we all had the same~what would our world look like….?!

  • Ose

    Wow, such a beautiful question! A huge theme to ponder on. It would revolutionize our world´s economic system , moving from a perspective of “I have more and you have less, from rivalry, greed and jealousy as well as the feeling of scarcity” to something like “we shake hands and join together”. What comes to mind immediately as well is that the most precious currency is affordable for everyone on earth!

    • Sieger des Friedens
      Dear Ose, I like your opening up the tension between these polarities. And I become aware about these tensions within mySELF. I decided to work with this tensions, because these are carrying the potential for new approaches (ways of thinking, feeling, acting). If life is all "abundance", how do I get and contibute to this abundance while caring for what I am (really) in need of? And secondly: How can I contribute - whilst I am in this tensions - to affirm life/utilize possibilities offered to ...

      Dear Ose, I like your opening up the tension between these polarities. And I become aware about these tensions within mySELF. I decided to work with this tensions, because these are carrying the potential for new approaches (ways of thinking, feeling, acting).
      If life is all “abundance”, how do I get and contibute to this abundance while caring for what I am (really) in need of? And secondly: How can I contribute – whilst I am in this tensions – to affirm life/utilize possibilities offered to me daily? So, my inner field, while coming to make a decision, is based on a set of assumtions and patterns (already). I am working on changing these patterns of thought from “…. I have to get it …..” into “… am I in need of …. and what for….?” this sounds as the thought of an entrepreneuer or investor, into LIFE; I am indeed. thanks for listening and pondering collectively ( at least two of us) ???

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