Comments on: The Land of Too Much

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 22 May 2008 18:29:28 +0000

Hey guys… wow, I am behind on responding to this set of comments. I think I will probably have to let this discussion go on without me for now. Please feel free to continue.

Thanks especially to @Michael for making some very good thought-provoking points.

By: Michael Friedman

Michael Friedman — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:59:46 +0000

It’s kind of interesting that this post is called The Land of Too Much, rather than the Land of Too Little. It helps frame the perspective from which you are writing. As a US citizen and recent traveler to Europe, I experienced a similar culture shock while in Europe.

However, your article has me wondering where is the line from poverty to abundance. I think the US has gone into food abundance with our big meals and big bellies. But I’d be worried if other countries followed suit. I think that the US needs to rediscover a balanced way of consuming food and that will take some doing. And other countries hopefully will find more food than what they are currently getting. This will also take some doing.

I guess what I am really saying is that I don’t think that it always comes down to “have and not have”, although that is a popular perspective. Or maybe it’s just not the whole story. I felt the abundance level in Europe was the same as the US, but just with different foods, and perhaps more importantly, different portions. Maybe I just stayed in nice hotels. I’d like us to look beyond the either/or mentality and realize there’s a vast gray area between, where the US consumes less and is more in tune with how we get our food, and other countries have more, but not so much more that its abundance swings too far into commodity. I think the right level of food is the commodity level you are talking about — it should be the norm. But, the too full belly is perhaps feedback telling us our commodity is too abundant.

Thanks for your post — made me think a lot!

By: Saravanan

Saravanan — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:44:56 +0000

Wow.. what a nice article…

I am from India and I do agree partly with Shashikiran. But these days India is also changing thanks to software and out-sourcing. We have been on an eating spree too.

By: Kristian

Kristian — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:18:53 +0000

Intriguing. I’m especially struck by your observation that “if I didn’t eat the pancakes that day, nothing would have changed for anyone in Liberia”. I often find myself burdened with guilt when considering my fortunate situation compared with those less fortunate, but I’m beginning to wonder if such guilt is self-inflicted, and if it’s not actually a bit conceited. It may even be that I’d rather feel guilty than take action.

By: Lise

Lise — Tue, 13 May 2008 11:38:14 +0000

Loved your post, it visually and fragrantly put my mind in a state of true abundance and how much we take it for granted. When people need to walk miles just to get their water and how it contrasts with how we have become so greedy and yet so ultimately empty. Being in Thailand on holiday I saw that people with hearts full of everything and yet mostly with nothing physical in the way we have it, experience more happiness, some might say not knowing any better, but the older I get the more I less value things and stuff than I do people and experiences and smiles and warmth. Your extremes of experience have really woken me up, appreciate it!

By: Shashikiran

Shashikiran — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:46:39 +0000

I live in India where wealth and poverty and opulence and squalor are everywhere neighbors. We have restaurants where you can order a small cup of coffee, and the waiter brings some empty cups for all at the table to share from it.

So, each time I visit the US, it takes me a couple of days to get used to the small and the grande—they’re both huge! And it takes me two days more to stop being appalled at the extent I must waste on my plate.

I tell this to my American hosts, which is probably not a nice thing to do on my part. They listen graciously.

By: JoeDrinker

JoeDrinker — Mon, 12 May 2008 19:07:34 +0000

Along the same lines, I once had someone try to get me to eat a bag of M&M’s by eating them one at a time. Try it; it’s more difficult that you might think!

We go through life racing through activities and events, and hardly ever take the time to really appreciate each part of our lives. Sometimes the only thing we realize about something is that it’s standing in the way of our next pancake or car or home or spouse.

Good post.

Cheers.

P.S. I now eat M&M’s two at a time…it’s about as conscientious as I can get.

By: Mary Wallace

Mary Wallace — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:49:35 +0000

Great article and so true. There is no such thing as luxury anymore. Since we can have anything, anytime, we no longer feel the pain of hunger. We stuff ourselves and we can no longer empathize, FEEL what other humans feel because all we feel is full.