Enough

When is enough, really enough?

We often use the statement that enough is enough to signify a

distaste or negative fulfillment but seldom to explain that we are

satiated and satisfied.

The idea of katabolism and anabolism enters into the picture. Some of

the early 16th century scholars and researchers (and even further back)

looked at katabolism as the idea that the release of life force or

activity is constructive, builds up. Anabolism is the evil cousin that

breaks down and that destroys ideas. This formed the basis of magic and

alchemy back then. The idea resurfaces in the late 19th century and

forms the basis of the hegelian dialectic and leads to such interesting

notions such as thesis, antithesis and synthesis – which unlocked large

mysteries in the form of a more balanced scientific method.

The interesting part is that we would all acknowledge that you need

both forces. You need a constructive and a destructive force. To only

construct would be cancerous and in time will consume the whole

system.

If we look at today – the idea is that we live in a boundless world

in which anything can be had, desired and achieved. It is becoming

easier every day to express thoughts and feelings and while the

harshness of nature has been with us always – to some extent man has

tamed this and we can live synthetic lives in which nothing is out of

bounds. Age use to be a natural katabolism – but even it is being beat

back through advances in science and this creates new paradoxes.

One example of this is that people are living longer – so societal

factors that was designed to work in a more structured way, are falling

apart and society needs to re-invent itself.

So the interesting aspect that comes to the fore is that the

balancing factor implies that an katabolic process should be in place to

counteract this need for society to be re-invented. This tends to come

in the form of an increase in diseases etc. We are also increasing the

remedies and tools to counteract these – so eventually it will continue

until man has everlasting life and we can control the whole human

experience of living.

When the human condition moves beyond striving for survival we have a

real problem – in that survival is a necessary pre-condition for us to

want. When we don’t want more, then enough is enough and the equation

balances. When the equation balances – then the system balances. It

follows that enough is enough when we are balanced.

Lets look at this balance once again.

So our common daily mortality which is both the rate at which we are

living and the rate at which we are dying forms the basis of balance. We

can view this in two ways – either that we should do nothing –

i.e. little effort, gives little output and thus needs less “balancing

force” or the other way around in that the more we do the more we tend

to balance. The reality is that every day is one less day that we are on

earth and that living a day at a time – and with the full force of life,

is the only balancing factor that comes to the fore.

If you give less than 100% to yourself every day, then you start

dying faster than you are living.

It may be a long way to state the obvious – but it does say

something. It is our duty as well to keep on building and breaking – to

challenge the status quo and to push up (and sometimes down) on things

that are not right, does not work well or that puts the equation out of

balance.

The image of a soap bubble comes to mind. It is essentially a thin

film of water that is held together by a weak bond and while it is

pretty – it creates a vacuum and imbalance in which the harshness of the

outside competes with the pressure on the inside and for a brief moment

creates a perfect balance. This balance however will both be destroyed

and needs to be destroyed – else in time we will live in a world of soap

bubbles in which we will all suffocate.

Enough happens when we renew – when we recharge and push ahead.

Enough happens when we make a conscious choice to live life.

Have a great day and may you have enough in this journey.