Well lived Life

I have heard many of neighbours talk about this man, who lives just across the road opposite my apartment, how much money he made selling his farm land to an apartment builder and still lives an impoverished life. About the small house he lives in, about his children who are still going to a local government school(where standard of education is assumed to be very low), about him not wearing expensive clothes and not having a car and a lot of other things he hasn't bought with money. I got curious about this man and had shared the story with some of my friends and colleagues and most of them responded 'its his wish', 'he is stupid' and many other similar versions. But yesterday one of colleague asked me a different question.

Think of an Engineer or a Doctor who has a life style that is good by your standards, if they get a fortune would you really become equally curious about them not buying bigger car, bigger villa or generally any more material pleasures? To genuinely answer that 'NO'.

This was a realisation, that my beliefs about 'my view of a well lived life' was not accurate. I have to start it all over again. Umair Haques blog on Is a well lived life worth anything? was very insightful and this one is my favorite!