Yes, I think riches are a proxy concept for “attachments”. In this case the economic wealth is used as a proxy to represent “possessions” but not economic/physical possessions. These “possessions” are beliefs or preconceived notions. This eye of the needle teaching echoes the teaching of the empty tea cup koan from the Zen tradition. If we are unwilling to let go of what we hold, we may be preventing ourselves from holding onto something better in the future. image

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I think I'm holding onto paying the extortion fees of the government too much. Time to let go of that panic button and just ride the freedom that comes from not filing taxes. They probably would refund me more than I have to pay in capital gains and self employment anyway, self employment yielding me I think a net 0 too, so it's probably pretty safe to just not file. That notion of having to cover my ass, I feel like I can't risk losing it. Maybe I can't risk keeping it.
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twofish 11 months ago
Another one I like that is disturbingly true is the monkey trap tree. Dealing with asymmetry hard coded in the brain hints that the house always wins. You can burn all your possessions to the ground, but you will still find yourself picking things out of the burn pile even though you told yourself red pills from this point forward. Reading the book thinking fast and slow only reminds you that these bugs are hard coded. Like any handicap, strategy becomes your tool of choice. image
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twofish 9 months ago
I've used this meme in the past before you sent me the Tea cup note. It's a little different. I captured this from a game I was playing: Legacy of the Ancients image