Small is Beautiful

I read an interesting quote from the book Small Is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered:

"A Buddhist economist would consider this approach excessively irrational: since consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption.... The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic creativity. Modern economics, on the other hand, considers consumption to be the sole end and purpose of all economic activity."

The author is referring to the current economic paradigm of endless growth.

Artistic creativity is a good reason to value one's own time. If I have $20, then I can use it to buy stuff that I'll get bored of eventually, or I can use it to not work for some period of time so that I can be artistic and play. That's why I love the internet -- being artistic there is free.

I'm trying to find this book so that I can read more. There will be many interesting problems that arise in the future because of our dwindling resources. They will be challenging because they will be so multidisciplinary and will challenge our "business as usual" economic models and culture.

I'm excited to see if our economic model of infinite growth changes in the future. Of course, it will have to eventually because there aren't infinite resources anywhere. How long can it go on? Changing culture is never easy.

Note to self: Read Small is Beautiful (I have a bad memory)