Episode 52: Stuff, Stories, and the Insatiable Realm of Hungry Ghosts

In this solo episode Eric talks about where the value of things comes from. He talks about the difference between the utility that an item offers and the value carried by that thing in the stories that go along with it. He delves into the Buddhist idea of the hungry ghost and the American Indian notion of the wetiko, the cannibal who consumes far beyond the point of satiety. He reflects on how these archetypes have become overwhelmingly common in modern society, fueled by consumerism, and what steps we can take to escape from that downward spiral.

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