Though the question looks simple, finding an appropriate answer is the hardest. If the same question is asked in terms of food, it is simple and easy to respond since it’s a quantitative variable. For example, how many dosas, idly, pizzas, or burgers are needed to satisfy the hunger, or how much money is needed for F.I.R.E.? These are quantifiable and can be derived from a particular number. When it’s of qualitative variables like
- How much rest is enough to bounce back?
- How much work is enough without getting exhausted?
- How much progress is enough?
- How much success is enough?
- How much introspection is enough to build self awareness?
- How much sleep is enough to feel fresh?
- How much love is enough to stay content?
- How much materialistic goods are enough?
- How much time spent on social media is enough to stay connected?
- How much focus on physical appearance is enough without getting obsessives about external validation?
- How much travel is enough to feel alive?
- How much exercise is enough without burning out?
- How much time spent with friends and family is enough for a healthy relationship?
- How much exposure to different ideas is enough to broadens oneself without losing one’s identity?
- How much time spent on mediation is enough to foster inner peace?
The answers are subjective and vary from person to person based on their values, beliefs, resources, and priorities. I am not quite sure whether to try to find the answers to these questions or to drop into the deep ocean. There is a famous saying in economics that human wants are unlimited and insatiable. The constant urge to strive for more never stops, even when a goal or target is achieved. May be it’s just rooted in the genes. May it be or may it not!
There may not be a definite or consolidated answer to how much of something is enough. Yet, the act of exploring these questions and aligning one’s own values and goals with them can lead to greater self-awareness and a more fulfilling life. Though human wants are insatiable, searching for a meaning or a purpose in life is within our reach.
Cheers
Random Whys 