Setting the sliders V: Niedosyt and Przesyt

Inspired by a discussion we had some weeks ago, the dichotomy between living a life balance between 'insufficiency', 'deficiency' or 'shortage' on the one hand, and 'surfeit' or 'repletion' on the other, I concluded that the Polish words niedosyt and przesyt are not readily translatable into English. (Between them, there should be the word dosyt, but there isn't. Sufficiency as wystarczalność - not the same idea.)

Is it better to have too much of a good thing? Other than health - no. Look at the declining fortunes (in relative terms) of rich countries. Young people feeling they don't need to strive too hard (see work-play balance) because the incentives to do so are no longer there. People feeling niedosyt will work harder than those wallowing in przesyt.
I'd set the well-balanced life's slider just a touch nearer the niedosyt end of the continuum. Nudge it over a bit to the right, and complacency and a sense of entitlement sets in. "This is what I always got, this is what I'll always get. So why try any harder?"

Looking at my parents' generation - the Poles who ended up in Britain after the war without money or language - and the success they achieved through hard work and sacrifice - and their grandchildren - who've had it all passed to them on a plate - it's easy to see that niedosyt is more likely to liberate the fullest potential from a person than przesyt.

But then why do billionaires push themselves so hard to earn another few million (which they're unable to spend)? This, dear reader, is another slider.

Lent starts tomorrow. Time to empty the fridge and the drinks cabinet of all that will be proscribed for the next 46 days...

This time last year:
Congruent consciousness

This time three years ago:
Warsaw Metro's link to the outside world