Enough

Quentin Tarantino recently remarked that he plans to make 10 movies, and that’s it. (note: in context, he did indicate that he would be fine doing something later on despite having done 10 movies, so it’s not a set-in-stone number). Mentioned wanting to go out at the top of his game.  Similar to some, but not all, athletes.  The same applies to everything; our “mere mortal” projects. Our jobs. Our ambitions. Our desire to make more, have more, obtain more, visit more, watch more, see more.

At what point is it enough?

Enough means the necessary to meet a need or desire. So once you reach that point, everything beyond that is extra. Unnecessary. Wasteful, even.

Is the glass half full or half empty?  (Is that even the correct question?)

There is a strong minimalism trend in a number of circles. You can find excesses in minimalism as well, as many try to do away with everything except the bare spartan essentials of life. In the design world, minimalism appears to mean “Only use black and white please. Hopefully only text.”.  But in some cases, enough means more than black and white.

There is an old adage to “take everything in moderation”. That is a fine way to avoid excesses, but then again, taking “everything in moderation” is in itself excessive. More than “enough” (so go crazy every once in a while). 

It’s a good idea to stop every now and again to ask yourself, “What is enough?”  If not, you may never know when you’ve arrived.

Photo used: unsplash.com