From birth, human beings are programmed to be consumers through systems of education, government, workforce, etc. While it is important to consume enough water, sunlight and food to maintain a body, most of what we consume these days is not necessary: television, video games, websites, shiny screens & blinking lights. In this era of abundance- health, happiness and productivity should flow naturally from human lives. However, in its place, we see rampant depression, prescription drug use and abuse of other types of narcotics, bodies filled with excess fat and toxins, stagnant birth rates & declining productivity as nations consume more (imported from other countries) and create less. Why is this so? We certainly have not come close to reaching the limits of human potentiality. My argument is that because people are trained and live to be consumers, they will be less fulfilled and satisfied until tapping into their creative energy to shape their lives how they want to. Everyone is creative and unique, some are simply more aware of this than others. Maybe it was an authority figure such as a parent or teacher who told an impressionable child that expressing themselves was 'wrong,' and they have carried that burden ever since.
Also wanted to say that there is nothing inherently 'bad' about consuming- it is healthy up to a point. Binge watching shows or binge drinking/eating throws the bodily systems out of balance & takes a while for the body to recover. We human beings are very immoderate animals, not always capable of complete self-control and so should moderate our time doing destructive activities balanced with creative pursuits. Being creative is not only creating things like songs or sketches, but also everything we do daily is an expression of ourselves. Making a simple omelette for breakfast is an extension of the creative force, or writing an e-mail to a friend. We are not only one profession- 'doctor' or 'lawyer' but we are what we are doing in the current moment. When writing a letter, he is like a writer; when cooking, he is like a chef. It should be celebrated that someone would like to change their career, as 30 years in the same daily routine can slow personal growth & limits expertise when it is only in one area.
Because in earlier times, life was less complex. Complications arise when people question the foundations of belief and create their own way to separate from the universal chaos that is to be predicted on a daily basis. When everyone had one source of information to blindly follow in faith (The Church) chaos was at a relative minimum. Religion was and still is the manifestation of love and war. Having countless distractions from this allows consumerism to be the newest religion to believe in because the system of money and mercantilism allows for it.
yes, there are so many distractions nowadays that take away from simple pleasures & living. Life is not complicated, but we make it so. It's amazing watching people who have lived in cities come work on a farm. The adjustment is difficult at first, then an amazing transformation occurs- they become calmer, more fit, friendlier and better attributes come out when they are nurtured
2 big players that are the main reason IMO. Media & Drugs/Chemicals/Toxins in food, water, air supply One keeps the body weak and vulnerable, the other programs and influences the already weak system. The combination creates unawareness and disconnection from creative energy, self control and critical thinking.
We consume what we know and create what we don't. We know cannabis is a safe plant to consume. We create a product and name it dabs because we don't know what we are doing except making money. Before money life was humans in nature. After the invention of money life is a system of power and division of labor. Without our precious money people today would be lost as all hell. Common sense has gone to the birds.
Yes, nutrition plays a massive role in mental health & depression. 'Let food be thy medicine.' Most people eat for taste, satisfaction & not for health. The food industry should not be for profit as they pump cows full of hormones to produce more or spray chemicals on vegs It's so apparent when traveling to other countries. The market stalls are full of fresh food that's delicious and affordable. Freshly caught fish that morning for 100 pesos a pound! Less than $9 My mood, energy levels & depressive symptoms ease immensly living in other countries. Hanging out with other travelers who get up at 4:30 am to surf the first waves, swim, cook real food and share stories around a campfire. Going back to the west is so sad, post trip depression is a real thing. People look at their gadgets & hardly talk, food is fake, unhealthy self medicating. We're out of touch with how to live
We are meant to travel by nature, staying in one spot also causes depression. The system is completely backwards to our human nature thus why many are depressed.
I've always wondered why people considered 'success' to be working one job or profession for 30+ years than retire. Basically, it's being stuck in a daily Groundhog Day with the same routines, schedule and it's not for everyone. Kind of like prison, every aspect of life being regulated by others- employer, wife, etc We grow out of things, lose interest in one area and explore others. I always meet healthy people, who are usually doing different things every year and traveling around much more.
Yeah well said. Its all the conditioning, most people are not even aware that they live in a prison until something extreme happens to them or they have some sort of awakening or psychedelic experience that allows them to step out of auto-play for a little while and observe what is actually going on behind the scenes.
I would say most are aware .... it's called " comfort zones " , and when it comes to what's going on behind the scenes they know that too , they just don't care .
Most are aware they trade their time for $ in order to buy comfort and convenience. Many are not interested in questioning this too deep, as survival instincts are very strong. People may think 'need money to buy food/rent' and stressed out about jobs anyways so will do whatever in order to secure that. My friend called it the 'golden handcuffs,' the fancy house & stuff is a different sort of prison- comfortable, safe, and familiar To be honest, breaking out and staying out of the comfort zone does not seem to be a common thing. I think more people do it when they are younger, and then forget, repress or basically give up and instead choose convenience and ease of living. The path of least resistance is the way most go. Human beings are pretty lazy, we move the minimum daily amount to secure our food etc. Deep down, we know the truth... though having debt, children or loved ones is used as bargaining chips to keep them showing up to those jobs. J o b means just above broke
over consumption has always been present in this world, why do palaces hoard treasures, why do emperors rule, the ruling you see now is similar to that of the few elite in ancient history, controlling masses with information just like the media is being used currently (excessively) but as you mentioned there is a toxicity to this plague in this current form, for this thing wont die with our generation, for it cant.
The Economy is the source of this typeset of greed. Barter and Trade used to be the human values of trust in the days of mercantilism. In the consumer age, dollar signs and debt are the drivers for economic output that we measure successes and failures in. Replacing the virtues of human nature with idealized social values, we neglect the actual hierarchy of needs in lieu of substantial monetary gains. The income inequality gap is a generous reminder of how the divide polarizes people into "haves" and "have-nots." The creation of such a ponzi scheme leaves the majority of people struggling to reach the self-actualization of Mazlow's pyramid at the top, while the 1% already there force the bottom 99% to stay put. Power dynamics only allows the share of power for the fewest possible to control the most possible with the only resource that counts, shareable knowledge. Before money had any economic validity to the extent it does today, creations were revered as artistic endeavors to be flouted in society. In the world of today with 7+ billion people the same model for sustainable works just does not compute the same theory as we have artificial values to replace the core concept of what gives society the framework it has. Consumption generates the falsified belief system that we can buy happiness in goods and services, when the average consumer does not have the skills or know-how to produce the very things "necessary" to survive. Advertising the wants and needs of the many in a marketing ploy is how we all buy into this paper money regime that has inflated value of nothingness, yet we trust it all the same because so far it has worked for the ruling class. Meanwhile the "middle-class" or working-class continues to mindlessly consume all things produced while creating nothing but excessive amounts of waste, as T.S. Elliot so elegantly put it in his Wasteland.
Hoarding money or possessions is wasting time, because upon death we can take none of it with us, just as when we we were born without anything but a body. Not even a piece or hair from our faithful body can come, that serves us all our lives- so there is no point in worrying about very temporary things. Things are tools that serve us in life but 'belong' to none. Money is the agreed upon means of exchange in this material world- like a poster said, it is a piece of plastic or paper with no inherent value but what belief is put into it. Sadly, its power is misused to rule those who compete against one another to get some, doing things they may disagree with but have little say in. Money is like energy, and when energy sits in one place for a long time, it stagnates and loses potency. To keep it alive, it must constantly be moving, like electricity, or water It is more important to keep the flow going than to hoard & cling on to it with fear of losing it. I have an easy come & easy go attitude with money but the flow makes sure it can reach all. This is why you see many happy broke and poor people with little, and many miserable, wealthy misers.
Good points, how silly it is to consider a country a 'success' because their economy is strong (spend, spend $). Since the money isn't real & they can always print more, why not make everything affordable and give everyone monopoly funny money to use? Oh damn, that would destroy all of those pesky for profit systems, can't have that now! Everyone can swipe a debit card, but who can catch, gut, clean, cook and eat a fish? Many are discouraged to even try as you need a license to fish in the river, or they take your rod and gear away! Land of the free my buttocks
"The Church" is not one source that dispersed information to everyone at any point in history. There have always been competing religions/factions/tribes/nations/empires to feed the people their "news". Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but you're response doesn't really answer OP's question. Consumerism has surpassed creationism because of the advancement in technology. Technology, defined as anything that makes a human task simpler for the human or completes the task altogether, is why we are able to consume quicker than we create. Because the technology has been burdened with the creation. Instant gratification. I mean, who would rather cut fresh ingredients, cook and stir them for hours when you can open a plastic bag pour the shit in a bowl and tap some buttons on a microwave to do the rest?
It's almost as if humans weren't meant to be stuffed into 40 story skyscrapers sharing the same square mile with 100,000 others. But what do I know, I'm no sociologist with a degree or anything.