Updated On: 28 January, 2025 06:48 AM IST | Mumbai | C Y Gopinath
We live lives of too much. Too many clothes, too many shoes, more food than we can eat—and five times more toothpaste than we need. And there’s a price

Through the lens of sufficiency, nearly everything around us turns out to be excessive, often by strategy. Illustration by C Y Gopinath using AI
Sometimes a question about toothpaste enters my head in the morning. It pops up after I stumble to the bathroom, eyes wide shut, find my toothbrush, and squeeze out the toothpaste. It slides out like a sweet, white, chubby slug with red stripes, that cheerful blob shape made famous by millions of TV spots. The question also slides out around then, short and sweet like the blob—Do I need so much?
People normally don’t waste time on such trivial matters. Toothpaste is a passing blip in the day, and who cares if you squeeze out a little more or less? It tastes zesty, your mouth zings afterward and you’re off to a great start. I would have moved on, but the caffeine jolt I got next reminded me of two of life’s guiding principles—Never let a good question go unanswered; and Details matter.