Abundance in Constraint

The median (half have less) disposable income for UK households (2.4 people) is £29,400. After reading William MacAskill and Peter Singer who study Effective Altruism, I decided it was worth aiming to live off an income of less than £2,000 a month. Aiming for less seems very counterintuitive in a bigger-better-more world. If you believe in abundance, then it also seems unnecessary. Why self-impose constraint? I don’t believe resources are abundant, and grapple with conspicuous consumption in a world with structural apartheid. Poverty is still very real, and mostly apportioned by our compounded historic prejudices. Sustainability is also clearly a pressing issue. I am all for Maximum Sustainable Growth, but how we co-ordinate means we can’t think in isolation. 1s and 0s (digital pleasures) and walks are abundant. Big houses, cars, and plane trips clearly aren’t. I do believe in win-win growth. Someone rising up doesn’t have to be a threat, but how we count, what we count, and where/if we grow does need reflection. You can still lean into true abundance within empowering constraints.