Thursday, March 08, 2007

Simplicity

This via Deanne:

“Simplicity means a return to the posture of dependence. Like children we live in a spirit of trust. What we have we receive as a gift.” — Richrard J. Foster


Wanted: Your first gut reaction to the quote.

Wanted: Your reaction upon further contemplation.

=)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bens,

I don't know the context of that quote. However, most people who follow the ideas of voluntary simplicity support independence rather than dependence; the idea that by cutting back, minimising one's possessions and activities to those one truly values; we can be (somewhat) independent of the mainstream, worldly and consumerist values of our society.

Helen said...

The dependence part bothers me.

I'll keep thinking about it but I think it's going to keep bothering me.

LP said...

yes, i agree.

ok, i'll think about it and get back to you...

Deanne said...

Fear - the complecating of things as we dwell on "what could happen." Simplicity - cutting back - simplifying - distilling our thoughts from the fearful what ifs to what is...
innocent until charged guilty instead of imagining the spiders behind each door.

Unknown said...

First gut reaction: ACK!

Upon further contemplation: It seems that the more simply we live, the less dependent, in many ways, we should have to be. (I can grow my own carrots; I can't build a TiVo.) Children aren't always so very trusting. ("But WHY can't I have it? You NEVER let me have my way!!!) And while some of what we receive is a gift, some is a result of hard work, and much is a result of a combination of the two. It seems like a rather oversimplified statement to me!