To Have or To Be?

Let us begin our journey with a gentle breath and a gaze back through history, to the dawn of the industrial age. Imagine a world filled with hope, where every new machine and invention promised to lift humanity out of hardship. There was a powerful belief, a 'Great Promise,' that if we could only master nature, accumulate enough wealth, and break every chain, happiness would be ours. This promise was so alluring that it became a guiding star, a new kind of faith that shaped nations and inspired generations.

Yet, as time unfolded, the shine of this promise began to fade. Despite the marvels of technology and the comforts of modern life, a quiet emptiness settled in many hearts. People discovered that the endless pursuit of possessions and pleasures did not bring lasting joy. The more they consumed, the more they felt something essential was missing. This is the paradox at the heart of our story: the more we tried to fill ourselves with things, the emptier we became.

Consider the world around us: the gap between rich and poor has grown wider, not narrower. The planet itself groans under the weight of our ambitions—forests fall, rivers run dry, and the air grows heavy. Even as we are surrounded by abundance, many feel manipulated by images and messages that convince us to want more, buy more, be more. The dream of being masters of our own lives has, for many, turned into the reality of being cogs in a vast, impersonal machine.

But why did this happen? The roots run deep. For centuries, the idea spread that happiness comes from satisfying every desire, that pleasure is the highest good. Yet, wise voices from many traditions have long warned us: true well-being is not found in fleeting pleasures. Instead, it comes from fulfilling the deeper needs of our nature—connection, purpose, growth.

As we reflect on this, we might see ourselves in the mirror of history. Perhaps we, too, have chased after the next new thing, only to find our longing still unsatisfied. It is not our fault, nor a reason for shame; it is part of the human story, a story we are ready to rewrite.

And so, as the sun sets on the era of the Great Promise, a new question arises: if having more does not make us more, what will? With this gentle curiosity, let us step forward together into the next chapter, where we will explore the two fundamental modes of existence—having and being—and how they shape the very core of who we are.