Why would anyone value peace of mind who does not believe it is possible? Who has sought it everywhere, and failed?
As a basis for morality–that consistency of behavior rooted in empathy, self respect, and emotional awareness–peace of mind is most often a starting place, not an ending place.
Stereotypically, if you grow up in a small town on a farm and are taught a clear and firm moral code, you have the peace of mind of having a place and purpose, and the task then is to protect it, by never behaving in ways which contravene what you believe. This protects your peace of mind.
But for the traumatized–and this, by the way, is nearly all the super-rich on the planet, and I’ve met a few people connected with them, at least one of whom I have discussed–you have nothing to protect. Your baseline is one of chronic tension, avoidance, anger, fear, shame, and all the models and methods you personally have evolved to deal with all that.
Peace of mind, as one obvious example, is not possible for Hillary Clinton. Not going to happen. If she is guilty of some of the sadistic acts some have accused her of, that is as good as it gets for her. Cruelty can ease that pain of tension for a brief time, but it is not sustainable. There is no lasting peace possible.
We live in a world where many of the largest decisions, affecting the most people, are being made by people who–consciously or not–have always found it impossible to relax deeply. No doubt they enjoy luxurious vacations on beaches in exotic places, but that tension never fully winds down. Ever. Ever.
And it seems to me that the main satisfaction of the super rich has got to be what I will call Reverse Envy, which is the feeling of specialness knowing that they get to do something or experience something, that most people can’t. The feeling of being on a private yacht in some tropical paradise, with a Michelin rated chef on board, and a 25 year old beauty. And all the cocaine or whatever else you want.
In my mind’s eye, such people enjoy the IDEA of being who they are, and experiencing what they experience. They may not take pictures and post on Facebook, but the mindset is the same.
This is radically different from actually BEING emotionally present and ACTUALLY enjoying what they do.
I think most of them get rich because they have in effect made virtues of their inability to relax, which translates as a relentless focus on work. If you work all the time, and you are smart, and you are willing to fuck over the people you need to fuck over, you will succeed sooner or later, most likely.
But as with the Midas story, such people cannot fully appreciate what they have. There are happier people living in huts with dirt floors in the Caribbean. Nearly all those people become radically alone, because they cannot trust anyone. Money makes everyone funny.