Contradicting

This isn't what I want to talk about today, but I feel the need to mention I finally got my little brother to start investing. Just a little bit, it's not too significant --- he doesn't have his own money anyway --- but it's a start. I hope he can start this habit early. Doubt he'll regret it.

Now to the topic at hand.

A common theme in my ramblings is my obsession with living a great life. I want to do certain things in certain ways, I want to detach myself from certain actions, etc., etc..

One of the core tenants of my philosophy, though, is this idea that waste should be minimized. Partially, this is why I care so much about buying things that will last me a long time, buying second hand, and so on. Being sustainable is important to me. However, I also care about quality. I don't just want things that are sustainable, I want good things, quality things. It does happen --- not by coincidence, mind you --- that being a sustainable consumer often leads to purchasing quality products, and vice-versa, so that front is covered. There is, however, the other, less glamorous, side of the coin: the things I already own.

I've mentioned that a pair of pants I bought a few months ago are way too big for me, now. I'm planning on putting them up for sale, soon. OK, that's reasonable, but what about the things that I can't really sell? Like old pairs of socks, for example? I mean, I could put them up for sale, of course, but it would be rather ridiculous and nobody would buy them. I could donate them, sure, but even that feels a bit wasteful because the odds that someone will benefit from some old, thin socks with a hole is rather minimal. It really just feels like throwing them in the bin with disinterest dressed up in some minor moral upside.

If I want to upgrade and have someone I can donate (or pass down) to, sure, but what if I can't?

The reasonable option seems to be to just use the things I already own until I can't use them any longer, but that's delaying my life! I want the good things now, not when the bad things break down!

It's a contradiction. I can't claim to want things to last if I'm not willing to use them until they break down.

I feel like I have some figuring out to do, or some inner peace to find, or something. You know what I mean. Reflection.