One Example of Why Limits Can Be A Good Thing

Of the many objections I hear to electric vehicles, perhaps the greatest complaint I hear is range. We don't want to be encumbered by a sense of limit, we want to have a sense of freedom. It's no surprise that having a car that can only get so far on a charge can seem like a hurdle to that desire. But our addiction to a perceived sense of freedom has costs, and it limits us in other ways. The machine of Big Oil is set up so that we will keep buying in to a sense of infinity. If I run out of gas, it's no big deal, there's a gas station near by. Yet this system depends on fracking and has harsh side-effects, such as destruction of wild places, contamination of groundwater and release of volatile organic compounds into the air. Our insatiable greed has a cost, and it affects us. This is why limits can be a good thing. By imposing limits on ourselves, we can steward our land and be on the lookout for others. Said differently, when I am grateful and see myself as having enough, I don't have to hunt to acquire more, I can create and contribute from where I am. Having a car that only goes so far in a day might mean that there are things you can't do, but it opens up other possibilities for what you can do. Be a presence for good in your community. Get more physically active. Make space and time to stop moving and appreciate beauty around you. All these can happen as we let go of a "buy-freedom" mentality and move into a "be free in my present circumstances" paradigm. 

When they help us understand the impact of our actions and focus on what is important, limits can be a good thing. 
Benjamin FaderComment