From austerity to prosperity.

Living simply does not mean you are poor.

Having money does not mean you are rich.

What comes to your mind when you see the phrase from austerity to prosperity” for the first time? Poverty?
Hardship? How can prosperity be achieved through austerity? In our modern society, people seek fame and
fortune and strive to satisfy their every need. So why are we advocating austerity? What is the purpose of
introducing this concept now, and who is the intended target?

Even though the society we live in is richer and more civilized than ever, this is still a world of contrasts,
and the language we used is built on contracts as well. Therefor, we must have clear definitions of the terms
we use.

What is Austerity?

In order to comprehend the meaning of ‘’ from Austerity to prosperity’’ we must first understand what
society is. The Chinese word for austerity consists of in simplicity not poverty.
Austerity must be understood in opposition to extravagance, as the tow sides of a scale clear and simple, on
one side extravagance wasteful and luxurious) on the other side our modern society is leaning toward the
side of extravagance which is quite worrisome.

Extravagance is the result of the overdevelopment materialistic culture. For millions of years, our human
migrated to accommodate the environmental changes before the settled down across the continents and
developed civilizations. Today, as the world wide web has come of age and economy has grown
exponentially, people’s lives have changed significantly. A million years ago of development is but a blink
of the eye compared to the progress of today. The price for such speedy progress is mankind’s
overconsumption natural resources. Men have lost the ability to interact with their natural environment.
Instead, the only take and consume, demonstrating a mentality of extravagance.

People who lived in olden times when material goods were scarce were in no condition to be extravagant.
With fewer desires and pure heart, the lived plainly and simply. Now we have a new one arises. Austerity is
the perfect solution to counteract these thoughts and deeds rooted in extravagance.
Austerity is a lifestyle

Not only is austerity the perfect solution to curb extravagance today, practicing austerity now can set an
example of the ideal lifestyle for future. The rise of cyberspace and society networking has affected the
way we think and live our daily lives. We notice the world is changing by the flourishing development of
blogs and online shopping. This is the most significant change since the industrial revolution of the
eighteen century. In the midst of such change, we must be prepared. 8