Living well and doing well (IM 382)

“From all your herds, a cup or two of milk, From all your granaries, a loaf of bread, In all your palace, only half a bed: Can man use more? And do you own the rest?” — Ancient Sanskrit poem There is a difference between living well and doing well. Very many people spend money in ways quite different from those that their natural tastes would enjoin, merely because the respect of their neighbors depends upon their possession of a good car and their ability to give good dinners. As a matter of fact, any man who can obviously afford a car but genuinely prefers travels or a good library will in the end be much more respected than if he behaved exactly like everyone else.” — Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness Living well comes by living simple as simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.