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permaculture - Re: Sustainability and contentment

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  • From: "Marsha Hanzi" <hanzibra@svn.com.br>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Sustainability and contentment
  • Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2000 11:24:28 -0300



> Fascinating insights flying around -- thanks for starting this one up Myk,
> and to everyone else, particularly Toby for several well-thought through
> posts. My twopennyworth:
>
> 1) Sustainability is indeed a word being battled over, particularly
between
> environmentalists and economists -- important to keep asserting the
> environmental bottom line of 'not damaging the natural systems that
sustain
> life' -- while also insisting that the 'meeting human needs fairly' aspect
> has to be taken on-board by greenies.
>

There is a word which we rarely hear any more, but which may be in fact
central to the issue at hand: "contentment" , means being happy with what
you have, that gentle state of well-being, of soft glowing happiness ( not
shouting from the mountaintops). The image to me is sitting quietly on the
veranda, watching the sun go down. To me, contentment has to do with
slower rhythm , free time, having the basics ( no fear).. Maybe
contentment is in fact one of our goals in Permaculture-- having those
basics, and recognizing them as being sufficient for life-quality...Knowing
to stop in time... Get what I mean? (Couterbalance to "more is better"...)

Marsha





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