Essay 22

Essay 22: How Much is Enough

Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller were at a party thrown by a billionaire hedge fund manager when Vonnegut pointed out to Heller that the host had made more money the day before than Heller had made from the entire sales of Catch-22. Heller replied, “I’ve got something he can never have.” Vonnegut inquired, “What on earth could that be, Joe?” To which Heller replied, “Enough.” I’ve heard numerous variations on this story, but the gist is always the same. And, it has stuck with me through the years. After all, the only thing we really want in life is Enough.

But how much is enough? And what if we have enough of one thing but not enough of another thing? The devil, as they say, is in the details. So, let us consider what we mean by enough in several popular areas of want and desire.

The first one is money. How much money is enough? There are a lot of studies addressing this question and they produce a lot of different answers for different situations. However, it is probably fair to say that a yearly income of $100,000 is enough to be happy. That will comfortably cover your basic needs. In practical terms if you currently earn $50,000 per year, a $10,000 raise will probably make you happier. But, if you earn $200,000 per year, a $10,000 raise will probably not make you happier. Unfortunately, at some point earning more money increases the pressure to move up socially – a better car, a better neighborhood, better schools for the kids and so forth. So, once your basic needs are met, more money just translates into more obligations.

What about fame? Walking down a street where nobody says “Hi” can be very lonely. On the other hand, walking down a street being bombarded by fans and photographers must be pretty unpleasant too. While this is not as easy to quantify as money, you know that there is some starting point where you crave friendship and recognition by others. There is another point where you feel like you know enough people. And there is a third point where the last thing you want to do is to make a new friend or admirer. So, there is a limit to how much fame or recognition you desire. And when you reach that limit, you have enough.

What about accomplishments? When you get your first academic degree, it is a big deal. If you pursue and accomplish another, it will be less of a big deal. By the time you get your third degree and fourth certification, you don’t even bother to frame them anymore. Same thing with raises. Your first raise is a big deal, and you might even call someone to tell them. After years of annual raises, you forget about them before the day is over. I could go on with your first car, first marriage, first child, first this and first that. Over time the luster of accomplishment wears off.

What about interests? When you discover a new hobby, a new subject in school that you like, or even a new movie franchise, you are buzzing for months. Yet, like accomplishments the accumulation wears on you until you can’t take any more. When you make your first edible beef stew, it is exciting. But once your recipe box is filled, the excitement is as flat as your cheese pancakes.

There are many things where the word Enough applies. And getting Enough is a good thing. Knowing when you have Enough is a better thing. Sadly, there are people for whom there is never enough money, never enough fame, never enough accomplishment, and so on. For these sad people, they will never be happy or satisfied. Or, at least, they won’t be happy enough or satisfied enough.

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