On March 14 — Pi Day — math enthusiasts and dessert lovers alike celebrate the infinite and delicious. The number pi (π) is irrational, meaning it goes on forever, without repeating, an infinite expansion of possibility. And, of course, there’s the literal pie, something we associate with warmth, comfort, and sharing.
But too often, we act as if our pie is vanishing before our eyes. That there isn’t enough to go around. That if someone else gets a slice, it means we get less or, worse, none at all. This is what psychologists call the scarcity mindset, has fueled much of our modern division and strife.
It’s time to replace it with something better: an abundance mindset, which recognizes that resources, opportunity, and success are not zero-sum games. And just like Pi Day reminds us, there’s always more to go around if we approach the world with generosity and creativity rather than fear and hoarding.
A recipe for division
The scarcity mindset is the belief that there’s never enough, whether it’s money, jobs, safety, influence, or freedom. This thinking has deep roots in our economic, social, and political worlds: As children, we’re conditioned to see the world as a competition, where every advantage we don’t secure for ourselves is an advantage given to someone else at our expense.
If you believe opportunities are disappearing, you’re more likely to see others as threats rather than partners. If you think democracy is a limited resource, you’ll work to exclude rather than include. If you think power is a dwindling commodity, you’ll grab whatever you can — by gerrymandering, by restricting voting rights, by pushing for policies that lock others out rather than lift everyone up.
Scarcity thinking also fuels cultural and political resentment: It tells us that if one group gains, another must lose (ignoring the reality that inclusion, fairness, and justice expand opportunity rather than shrink it). Scarcity tells us to fear immigrants, resent social programs, and view others’ successes as our failures. It leads us to close doors instead of open them.
The world expands – if we let it
On the other hand, an abundance mindset recognizes that the world is full of possibility. It does not ignore hardship or inequity; it simply refuses to believe that the only solution is to grab and hoard as much as possible before someone else does.
An abundance mindset understands that democracy thrives when more people participate. It knows that expanding voting rights strengthens our country rather than weakening those already in power. It says that innovation grows when diverse minds contribute. Inclusion, the “I” in the suddenly-oh-so-spooky DEI, is actually a catalyst for creativity and progress. And it says that justice isn’t a limited commodity: More fairness and dignity in society doesn’t take anything away from anyone — it strengthens the whole.
This is not pie-in-the-sky thinking (pun intended). It is just as pragmatic as the scarcity-based defensive mindset that dominates much of our political discourse. In fact, we’d argue that it’s more pragmatic because it leads to sustainable solutions rather than what feels like short-term hoarding. Societies that invest in education, in civic health, in economic fairness, and in democratic participation don’t collapse under the weight of generosity. They thrive.
Share the pie
Let’s appreciate the abundance we all enjoy when we shift our perspective. A single pie can be divided endlessly, just as ideas, justice, and opportunity expand the more they are shared. We are not in a get-while-the-getting-is-good era unless we choose to be. That is a mindset, not an immutable reality. There is enough democracy, dignity, and progress to go around, but only if we refuse to believe the carefully cultivated falsehood that there isn’t.
So, Happy Pi Day. Whether you celebrate by solving an equation, baking a pie, or just enjoying the concept of infinite possibility, consider how we can extend that spirit beyond March 14. Our hope is that we reject the politics of scarcity and build a future where we recognize that, when it comes to democracy, justice, and opportunity, there’s always enough pie for everyone.
