The Confusing of ENOUGH, ‘Enoughness,’ & ‘Being Productive

The Confusing of ENOUGH, ‘Enoughness,’ & ‘Being Productive is Counter Productive

Not only as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof sang, ‘when you’re rich they really think you know’ but ‘when you’re rich – better yet, richer’  you are ‘special, better, better than, worthy – more worthy.’

            ENOUGH is a tool; Enoughness is a state. And MORE often than not becomes synonymous with ‘worthiness’ as  MORE  is typically measured by ‘net worth’ ergo ‘worthiness.’

Enoughness also becomes pair to productivity (MORE) – continuing to be able to  contribute i.e. ‘cut the mustard’ and being ‘up to snuff.’ Reinforcing the imperative to contribute is dread of being ‘indebted, obligated, taking’ which relegates one to ‘having AND being less’ in one’s self appraisal. (1) Therefore, I produce therefore I am (worthy, Enoughness). And so when one is no longer ‘productive’ – he or she recycles back to LACK – Lacking – not Enoughness in often both having AND being.

No one leaves this world with even half his desires fulfilled. If they have 100 they must have 200. If they have 200 they must have 400

Eccl. Rabba 1:32

            Now the psychobabbaltariat has tried to cash in on this question of a state of Enoughness – self worth – with their self esteem products (trophies for all, certificates of participation). The self esteem business (which the lack thereof was excused with victimhood) has been repackaged and rebranded into the happiness business. (Alas, that’s another story. A better ‘half life’ remedy: get an emissary from God: a dog).

When the day comes that I must account for my life, I will not be asked, “Why weren’t you Moses?” I was not equipped to be Moses. But I dread the question, “Why weren’t you Zusia?

—Reb Zusia of Anipoli

            A state of Enoughness is not one of ‘finished, completed’ given we are created incomplete. (1) Enoughness is, materially wanting what you have, and, spiritually, a commitment to continues to develop one’s chalek, discovering and realizing meaning IN on’e life – actualized or not -  inside out. And yes, while  there isn’t 100% completion in this life – maybe not even 50%, the spiritual standard/metric is not ‘productivity’ or cutting the mustard to ‘earn one’s keep’ but being able to answer as Reb Zusia was asked, ‘why weren’t  you, Reb……’ (besides answering NOT YET).

            And that is no half-assed question to ponder relative to one’s Enoughness

 Enough Already!