“There is no greater fault than wanting more; he who knows contentment has always enough.”Lao Zi · Cartea despre Dao și Virtute · -400 · capitolul 46
Real poverty is craving, not lack: whoever measures life by what's missing never has enough.
Lao Zi names the desire for more as the root of suffering. The problem is not quantity but mechanism: every acquisition resets the threshold, and 'enough' stays one step ahead. Knowing contentment does not mean stopping to live; it means stopping to measure life by what is missing. A person with a modest flat and a quiet mind sleeps better than one with more and a constant fear of losing it. Real poverty is craving, not lack.
Why it matters Relevant in consumer culture: recognizing the moment of 'enough' is the cheapest defense against financial and mental exhaustion.