Resources are generally good. If you have more food, money, time, etc. it’s generally better than if you have less of those things.
But there’s definitely such a thing as intangible “reverse resources;” boons that kick in specifically when you’re in need. We’ve all experienced the sudden surge of clarity and motivation that comes from being short on time. Predators get meaner and sharper when they’re hungry. We get careless when we have a lot of money, but a sharp frugality arises when we have little.
That’s not to say that you should put your back to the wall constantly in order to maximize your “reverse resources.” After all, those things kick in specifically to help us obtain the very resources we’re lacking – the predator’s senses don’t sharpen so it can go rock-climbing. The hunger rage kicks in so it can get food.
But we’re not wild predators. We have some conscious control, which means we can manipulate the balance a little. We can give ourselves these boosts if we’re careful. We can do it for fun – try taking a day trip with only cash, no phone or credit cards, and you’ll find the experience quite different. But we can also do it because we need to.
When we need to.
The Opportunity Machine 