I'm back...

I'm not entirely sure how I came to be posting here, the last 253 years are a bit of a blur.  But as long as you can read this, it matters not.


I miss my collaborator and publisher of my original musings, Ben Franklin.  I suspect dear reader you will too, as the good Doctor often thought the accounts of my observations as dry and bare as a mid-winter's forest.  It was he who  blew life back into them with his wit and wisdom.  



I offered my first post in 1733 with an adage that appears as timely now as it was then, to wit:




"The poor have little, beggars none, the rich too much, enough not one."


This may be as good time as any to revisit and have a think about "Enough".  I suspect much of what troubles us today, just as it did in 1733, is our inability to recognize or appreciate the measure of  "Enough".  

Epicurus, the early Greek philosopher, recognized that for man to be truly happy he (or she) must do "all things in moderation."  It is ironic that such a simple and reasonable directive is so difficult to follow.  Our friend Ben knew the importance of moderation, and as he was wont to tell us, even devised a method of measuring his vices as a means to perfection.  Alas, as he pointed out in his autobiography, the one passion that troubled him the most, was the same one the "gods" would not forgive, Pride.   He wrote: "In reality, there is perhaps not one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride... for even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility."

 Pride is the root cause of our need for more, it is the basis of our feeling of entitlement, the tail that wags the dog of our other vices. It's that small voice that conspires with us that we are deserving and there is no such thing as "too much of a good thing". 


Which brings me to the point of my first blog, John Bogle, founder of The Vanguard Group, tells a story in his book "Enough" that I would like to share with you.  Before I do I should note that, I have from time to time worked alongside Mr. Bogle, and I can affirm that of all the men I have known, Jack Bogle comes as close as any person alive who personifies the depth of character and love of reason, as our dear friend Dr Franklin.  I know if Ben were reading this, he'd be flattered.


   http://johnboglemedia.com/


In the book's introduction, Mr. Bogle gives an account of a party he attended some years ago, on a billionaire's island off New York.   Mr. Bogle found himself in the company of authors, Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller.  (The fact that these three men were sharing a drink reminds me of Franklin's proclivity to attract great minds in a salon setting.)  Vonnegut informs them ..."that their host, a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular novel "Catch 22" over its whole history.  Heller responds, 'Yes, but I have something he will never have...enough".
 Mr. Bogle was taken with Heller's sense of proportion and uses it as a spring board into the examination and importance of moderation in life.  He does this both eloquently and precisely.  The book "Enough"  is to hubris and greed as Thomas Paine's Common Sense is to absolute tyranny.  

Bogle like Franklin, takes a page from Pablo Picasso's creative playbook.  When Picasso was asked if he was influenced or borrowed from other artists he replied, "No, I never borrow but I will steal from the best."  Jack Bogle has done the same in developing his values. He sources many of the great thinkers from a sweeping array of subjects, and distilled 2500 years of classical western thinking into a crisp, easily digested tome.  Bogle renews the challenge that Socrates made to the citizens of Athens. (We all know how well that worked out.)  He quotes Socrates,"... I do nothing but go about persuading you all, not to take thought for your persons and your properties, but first and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul.  I tell you that virtue is not given by money; but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man."  
The book covers a wide range of concerns that are sorely in need of an infusion of reason and moderation.  As with Epicurus, Bogle's observations are straight forward and reeking with common sense, yet for many of us difficult to put into practice.  

 It reminded me of an epithet, another of my mentors used often, when dealing with mediocrity, "Never try to teach a pig to sing.  They never do it well and it usually upsets the pig."  (There are a number of variations on this theme.) 

This became painfully evident, as I've mentioned, to Socrates and some years later to a thoughtful carpenter from Bethlehem.  I can only hope that Jack's clarion call is received more graciously.  


So I will conclude this maiden post, as Bogle ends his book; (no spoiler alert necessary - just take it to heart.)


"Yes, our world already has quite enough hate, guns, political platitudes,arrogance, disingenuous, self-interest, superficiality, war, and certainty that God is on our side.  But it never has enough love, conscience, tolerance, idealism, justice, and compassion, nor enough wisdom, humility, self-sacrifice, for the greater good, integrity, courtesy, poetry, laughter and generosity of substance and spirit.  This great game of life is not about money; it is about doing your best to join the battle to build anew ourselves, our communities, our nation and our world."

To that I can only add, "Amen Brother Jack, Amen!".