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11/09/2015 · José Mujica, nicknamed Pepe Mujica, was President of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015. A former Tupamaros freedom fighter in the 60s and the 70s, he was detained, l...
1. Be satisfied with what you have
José Mujica, who has the nickname Pepe Mujica, has been living with his wife in a one-room farm for 30 years. During his presidency, he could have chosen to live in the presidential palace but remained true to his values. According to José, people are only really poor when they need a lot because they are never satisfied.
2. Possession is precious because it takes time from your life
When you buy something, you don't buy it with money, but with the hours of your life, you spend to be able to buy it. Like no other, he knows what it's like when everything is taken away from you, up to and including the daylight. He realized that it is not your possessions but your ability to want and be able to live that makes you happy.
3. Buy and own only what you really need
José Mujica always emphasizes that he is not against consumption but against waste. He, therefore, always preaches that it is better to buy and own only what you really need. In his simple reasoning, he says:
4. We will have to learn to share
According to José Mujica, not all of us can own a 400m2 house and a second house on the beach. There will not be enough space for everyone. We will have to learn to share. If everyone consumed like the Americans do now, we would need three planets like the earth. If we don't learn to share, there are gigantic groups of people doomed, he says.
5. Never impose anything on others
Punta del Este is the Sant Tropes of Uruguay. José Mujica is annoyed that some villas are used for no more than 20 days a year, while others have no roof over their heads. Even as a president, he feels trapped by the system that makes this possible, but he realizes that he cannot impose change.
6. There is no victory around the corner
Change is a slow process. Victory is never around the corner. José Mujica believes that through freedom of expression, you can pass on ideas to current and new generations. According to him, this sometimes takes a lot of courage, but it is one of the most sustainable ways of change.
7. Look for the similarities with people and not the differences
José Mujica is an atheist, which is remarkable for someone who was born and raised in a Latin American country where the majority of the population is Catholic. He also legalized marijuana, abortion, and gay marriages. When asked about this meeting after a visit to the Pope, he began to say that he and the Pope had humanity as a common interest.