The long goodbye

The hallmark of the human is his desire for continuousness. And his performative grief when that balloon pops.

Swift and sudden

We do not change ourselves by adding to ourselves. More money? More possessions? More experiences? Accumulation prevents what we imagine it facilitates. Real change is radical subtraction, a letting go, swift and sudden.

Amassment

Some men think they can increase their value by increasing their holdings. This is hand-me-down thinking.

Have nothing

This is a hard sell in a culture where the answer to every problem is more. But consider: Our basic biological needs are few, modest and easily met. If we have more than we need, we have too much. Craving sensory stimulation, we chase more and better experiences—more of what we don’t need. Craving is slaving. Every form of wanting, every anticipation, alienates us from the beauty and power of the inexhaustible now. Jesus to the cultivated rich kid: “Sell everything, give it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven.” Which is nowhere other than now.

What he’s worth

The true man is non-violent. This means that his level of self-concern is low to non-existent. He functions normally but one vacancy sets him apart: He has no interest in profit and loss.