FEBRUARY 2 — This is a not-so-new philosophy for Malaysia’s not-going-away troubles. The key principle is that the world is already and naturally a good place and it’s mankind’s additions and interventions which (usually) make things worse. If we want to attain the Good, we focus on removing the Bad i.e. less is more.
Let’s flesh this out.
Less is more. Facing financial problems? GST coming in, prices going up, burgers getting smaller, etc.? The solution is not to "go out and earn more"; much better to "come in and spend less."
Buy fewer things. Reduce expenses. Spend less time hanging out with people who always talk about making money and perhaps chill with those who have more problems than us. And for the love of God, do NOT buy that additional car or add yet more shoes and clothes to rival Imelda Marcos’ wardrobe.
Take off the financial hand-cuffs and breathe a bit.
Symptomatic of the problem is the frenzy over property investment; "tis nothing but one big exercise in vulnerability. The exposure and complications can be way too high, especially for many middle-class people who aren’t exactly Tuns." Sure the house prices (may) keep rising. Sure the rents (may) keep coming in. But one major meltdown and it could all collapse.
Think Asia-Pacific currency crisis ‘97. Recall sub-prime ‘08. In a slightly different context, remember Genneva Gold ’12. The upside is very attractive and "visible", but the downside is hidden. When shite hits the fan, what little room for manoeuvre is dissipated and everything can be lost in an instant (see Note 1).
Ironically, maybe one should also work less. What do I mean? Well, consider this rather common (and vicious) cycle:
- Work crazy hard, in order to…
- Earn big bucks, but…
- Stress and a huge bank account (coupled with innovative marketing from MNCs) produces…
- Over-spending, which puts us in a position of being…
- Forced to work even crazier hard… ad infinitum
This cycle practically defines modern-day capitalism. The stress of work and the craving for status destroy our sense of prudence and moderation, so we waste more money, which in turn compels us to stress ourselves even more dealing with the bills, etc. Check out this quote by the Dalai Lama on that exotic creature called Man.
“He sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
Ergo? Think less (if at all) about that psychotic race for rats. Worry less of what people say about you. Make fewer comparisons with "rich and successful" people. Only then will we truly live.
And must we mention how our obsession with more more More is killing the planet? Is it so surprising that perhaps our only solution is less less Less?
Less is more. Got health issues? The best thing many doctors can tell you is to stop doing a particular something. E.g. cut down on the meat, take smaller portions, stop ordering colas. Better yet, go on a fast – it’ll do the body a whole lot of good.
If we never ever skip meals, our bodies don’t get a chance to "recuperate" from all the carbs, lard and ajinomoto we shove down our guts. We become desperately dependent on our 3-squares to function properly. Indigestion, kidney stones, diabetes, high-blood pressure, etc. aren’t these the result of not refraining from food, at least on occasion?
And do we need to mention the undisputed most helpful single piece of advice in medical history? Stop smoking. Cigarettes and alcohol: Truly the two items in which the biggest quitters are also the biggest winners.
Also, I have it on good authority that the biggest risk to children nowadays is over-medication. Except I think this applies to adults too. We need to medicate less. Antibiotics tend to strengthen the bacteria’s resistance, not ours!
Less is more. In education, one of the most frowned-upon acts – skipping classes or school – may in some cases be rather helpful. Students learn more and learn naturally when they’re not pressured by institutions into regurgitating facts or ideas they lack any passion over. It’s sad how many children lose their love of learning entirely because of the bad experiences they’ve had with a teacher (or a parent?) who forced them to "study" (see Note 2).
Teachers are starting to realise that one of the best ways to conduct classes and impart learning is to, uh, talk less?
I’ve read that Aristotle Onassis used to keep a small diary which contained very few important things he had to know. He effectively managed his entire business empire with one notebook. The point? Onassis was aware of the problem of knowing too much.
I said it last week. I’ll repeat it again here: Simply ensure you don’t flunk, then go forth and do whatever the heck you want. Read, learn and absorb what you love; quit obsessing about being a top-scorer and all those "goodies" the system worships. You’ll grow more if you "study" less.
Less is more. If you’re having relationship or spirituality issues, don’t ignore that time-tested counsel: Think less of yourself (are you listening, Mr Religious-Racial Bigot?).
It should be instructive that the famous "love chapter" in the Bible, when "describing" love, does so primarily in negative terms:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
Out of love’s 16 qualities listed, nine are about what not to do. Even patience, trust and hope are largely negative in the sense that we refrain from acting like jerks each time things don’t go our way.
Less is more. Does it apply to politics? Sure it does. This one’s a no-brainer. Everybody knows that Malaysia would be much better of if we can just slash the corruption, the bigotry, the extremism, the feudalistic mentality, the debts, the injustices. Progress is almost entirely negative. Asal Bukan Umno – the operative word is the middle one.
Furthermore, we gotta say No to Kidex, stop cutting down trees without restraint, build fewer malls, and news portals should print only important stuff and less sensational ones. Finally, something all good politicians should remember? Talk less (see Note 3).
Note 1: During these major recessions (is there any other kind of recession?), those who invested in property suffer the most simply because they’ve made themselves an integral part of a house of cards. When something like this hits, peoeple in general start to tighten their belts, profits start falling, employees get laid off and – surprise surprise -- tenants start to fail in their rent payments. So guess who runs the risk of defaulting on loan payments? Yup. The dudes who invested the most in top-notch, high-priced “You Can’t Go Wrong” property.
Note 2: "Forced learning" is very much like "forced faith" – superficial and pointless.
Note 3: Clearly, this article is not claiming that we "do nothing." Neither does it deny the importance of doing more of some things. On the whole, the challenge is to rethink the need for activities or items that we either a) take for granted or b) tend do to a lot of.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
