Cutting The Mustard: Beholden & enough

Why is a poor man like a dead man? He does not make a ‘living’ (chiyut) on his own, while the living sustain themselves and do not require the help of others. Since a poor man does not sustain himself, he is not considered among the living
Gur Arye, Ex. 4:19

Proverbs 15:27 states, “he who dislikes gifts shall live” meaning that he who disdains living off others has his own living (chiyut).

No wonder we hate being beholden (obligated, dependent, indebted) and value self sufficiency (enough – FU**ability©) and admire those who are independent, not bound, and those who have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps. Yet, while we value rugged individualism, being social beings and not being self sufficient necessitates a division of labor and mutual need.

Cutting the mustard = to do what is needed, live up to expectations

Not being ‘beholden’ conflicts with the need of others but can be ameliorated by payment and or contribution (cutting the mustard).

However, when one can no longer cut the mustard, even if he or she has accumulated sufficient resources to make payment for premium ingredient Grey Poupon, there is still that feeling of being ‘the poor man’ (using French’s) and not living.

As a personal financial life planner, I have seen over and over again those who are not financially beholden, sacrifice their ‘living” for fear that they no longer can Cut The Mustard (despite having 50 years of Grey Poupon accumulated)! Worse, some of these individuals will deplete the shelves of their Grey Poupon (sacrificing ‘enough’ even FU**ability©) supposedly in the name of contribution or even ‘needing more.’ Why? Not being able to ‘cut the mustard’ now means to be poor, dying and or dead.

So as not to be dead, beholden, poor – we put at risk & jeopardy enough & FU**ability© – all for the want of a condiment. (1)

(1) Guirjeff’s Law of 7: That which we intend becomes it’s exact opposite in time.