According to my pal Google, the Oxford Languages dictionary definition of more is “a greater or additional amount or degree of.” There’s always more to achieve, buy, do, earn, make and/or own—at least, that’s what we’re often told. Investors in public companies, aka those that trade on the stock market, know this well. The rigid rules of the road require that such businesses reveal their profits and losses every quarter and provide guidance for what to expect going forward. Even the slightest equivocations in earnings—five cents instead of seven, for instance—can send a stock plummeting. And if the proffered predictions indicate less profits—or, worse, a loss—in the months or year ahead, watch out!
A little is never enough—not when it comes to money and power, at any rate. To borrow a lyric from Bruce Springsteen, “Poor man wanna be rich/Rich man wanna be king/And a king ain’t satisfied/’Til he rules everything.“ Modern life is rife with wannabe despots seeking to expand their fiefdoms, isn’t it? In a similar vein, for us mere peasants, contentment is often seen not as a virtue but a vice. If happiness is “x,” then we’re expected to strive for “x+1.” One conceit of capitalism, aside from accruing cash, is to create a climate where consumers readily confuse buying this and owning that for happiness.
Of course, the question of the day isn’t about “more” in those terms. It has to do with actions. What can I do more of? The feline overlord would tell you that I could and should shower him with even more attention that I already do; belly rubs are his currency, if you will, and he’s consistently shortchanged!
I’ve purposely been both serious and silly in my response thus far, but I’ll sidestep additional silliness and end on a more serious note: I could spotlight even more albums, EPs and singles that I already do. There is such a deluge of new music being released from both heralded and unheralded artists and bands that it would be relatively easy to do. To that end, tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday, I plan to write about forthcoming releases from an array of singer-songwriters that are well worth one’s time.
The Old Grey Cat 