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Padriag -> RE: The Things We Own.... (6/18/2006 6:23:10 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: CrappyDom
I think it is the word "own" and its connotations in our context of owning being an act of dominance and being owned, one of submission.
Having possessions creates responsibility. The more possessions, the more responsibilities I have and being responsible takes time. I am not owned by my car, but if I don't take care of it, it will become junk. I have to spend time making sure it has oil, its innards are in tune, I don't leave the windows down in the rain, etc. all of which take time.
Ah... but does it create responsibility? And the answer is, no, it doesn't.
You're right, if you buy a car and don't take care of it it will become junk. The responsibility only comes into being if you want to keep the car in good condition. If you decide you don't care if it sits there and rusts, or if you decide to sell it, give it away, or what have you, you no longer have any responsibility to it.
Hence, you own it, it doesn't own you.
As I tried get across previously. Possession only begin to own their owner when the owner allows ownership to become an obsession. Or a little more simply... if someone becomes obessessed with having things for the sake of having things, then yes, those things are controlling that person (actually its their obsession that controls them, not the things themselves).
What this means for owning slaves is simply this. You own them, you take care of them because you want to keep them and keep them in good working order (so that they can continue to serve and please you). But you don't obsess over owning them, if the time comes you need to release them, you are fully able to do so. You want them, but you don't need them.
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