Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss.

Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss. - Epicurus

The  Meaning  of  the  Quote :

I love this quote, as it is all about attachment and the fear of loss. If you are desperate to keep what you have, what do you really have? If this fear of loss is constant, if your fear of loss keeps you awake at night, is it really worth having in the first place? Have you ever considered that?

The quote warns us to be cautious about our pursuit of the shiny things and what having them might bring us. Whether it’s loss by theft, misfortune, or through our own stupidity, losing our riches truly stinks. And the more we have, the more we have to lose!

The amazing thing to me is that it doesn’t seem to matter how rich you are, or how uninspiring a collection of “riches” may be, to their owner, the loss can be devastating. Even kids can fall prey to this trap, even if their “riches” are only shiny pebbles or bottle caps.

Why is reducing our urge to be possessive important?  
Yes, it’s nice to gather shiny things. But at some point you have a Dragon’s Horde, and you spend more time counting, sorting, and worrying as you spend enjoying your riches. And the more you value something, the more you worry about it, right?

That is what we need to work on, in my opinion. Trying to worry less about riches. Trying to not become so attached that we cannot let go. We can also put a little less effort on trying to accumulate riches. Nah, that won’t work. So let’s try not to obsess over every little bauble, right?

By trying not to be so possessive, we can begin to relax and enjoy our objects. To me, that’s where the quote is so clear. It reminds us that the joy of attaining is less than the fear of loss. So many people focus on having less, and then never have the joy of the object in the first place.

Where can we apply this in our life?
Imagine owning a one-of-a-kind race car, but being afraid to wreck it, so it sits in a museum, instead of tearing up a track. If the fear of loss is too great, that’s where it’ll stay. Sadly, that’s how a lot of old race cars are treated.

Yes, it would be painful to lose something so beautiful and rare, but everything has it’s hour, and everything has it’s purpose. And decorating a garage or a museum isn’t the place for a race car. It’s place is on the track, even if there is danger of loss in being there.

To me, the important thing is to try to be less possessive about our riches. As I mentioned earlier, what you consider valuable, others might throw out without a second glance. The others aren’t possessive in any way, shape, or form. One person’s rare race car is another person’s junk.

How do you do it? How do you actually make progress in trying to let go? It’s not that easy, is it? I thought that way at first. However, I have since begun to take a slightly different attitude towards the possessing of things. As I get things, I try to figure out who I could give it to, who else could find good use for it, should I determine I no longer need it.

That’s an odd thought, isn’t it? Planning to get rid of something before you even get it? But so many things we get, we end up discarding for a newer or better version. Then what do you do with the old item? I have found that thinking of my “riches” as something to eventually be discarded.

Who mourns the loss of something old and useless? Yes, there may be sentimental value, but I don’t think that’s what the quote is getting at, do you? This won’t work as well with objects of intrinsic value or artistic merit. I haven’t figured out what to do about those, because they don’t hold my interest. Anyone have any ideas? 

There other approach hinted at in the quote is to not be so aggressive in gathering riches in the first place. You’re less likely to lose them by any manner, and then you can spend your time enjoying what you do have, and not worrying about how not to lose the latest addition to your collection.

I don’t believe that this means we have to be poor, or live well below our means. I think we can manage to balance our thrill of riches with the worry of their loss. But what then should we select as our riches? Gem encrusted golden crowns are probably a bit much, as would opulent palaces, right?

Modesty, I believe, is a good thought. Live well, but not ostentatiously. Have some riches, but not huge amounts. Do you try to make that little money? Or do you find a good cause to which you can donate it? Many of the richest people in the world have diverted large portions of their wealth to causes they felt were worthy.

At some point we all have to find a balance between enough riches and too much worry. Where that point is will depend on how possessive you are, and how many riches you try to accumulate, and will differ from person to person, and even year to year.