What is your opinion as an American or as a Non-American of American consumption, American consumers, and American consumerism itself? Do you view consumerism (American or otherwise) to be a positive or negative thing? If you find it positive, what are its benefits and do you see any drawbacks? If you find it negative, what are its drawbacks and do you see any benefits?
Consumerism is the modern day replacement of religion. The herd animal cannot affirm its own existence without a disposable income and the idea that their happiness lies in consuming the next commodity. Without consumerism the herd animal would self-implode due to a plunging into the void of nothingness. The consumerist has little to no self-control, self-discpline is not part of their cogititive lexicon, they are representitives of a modern-day ‘slave-morality’.
By reducing everyone to a consumer, the stronger, more outgoing individuals are ridiculed, scorned, and stunted. All ideas are thrown to the wayside of economic growth.
It is my mission on this planet to destroy the idea that consumerism is a virtuous activity.
“In the past, tuberculosis was called consumption, because it seemed to consume people from within, with a bloody cough, fever, pallor, and long relentless wasting. (1)â€
When unchecked, consumption is like the disease that bears its name. Consumerism is often used to define the self through brand identification. Does the American define himself through branding? Is it not cattle that are “branded� The pursuit of material goods to define the self or to gain happiness is the misidentification of a material means with the end one seeks. Non-essential material goods are symbols, and to take a symbol for what it symbolizes, to mistake the means for the end is a kind of idol worship. Materials were made for man, not man for materials, and what one wastes oneself away to possess ultimately possesses them through their dedication of themselves to it.
Ours is a post-industrial emptiness, a graveyard of souls under headstones of egoism materialism, and hedonism. In America we have attained the height of success and power, and come to discover -even if without admitting it- its vanity. We have climbed the glittering mountain; we have stormed the castle, and found only dust and exhaustion. It is little wonder we fill ourselves with bread and circuses to numb the pain. With bread for the body and circuses for the mind we pass the time, with our pass-times. Our Pass-times pass the time in-between, but in-between what?
One third of adult life is spent sleeping, one third working, the final third is “freeâ€, our free-time, which we fill with pass times. Is our whole adult life then simply a working passing, an occupied dying? If so, if life is a dying, then what do we die for? Do we die for the company? Consciousness in the face of nothingness can only lead to nihilism and despair, and so we numb our consciousness through, among other things, consumption. We are anesthetized to make the amputation of our souls less painful. Is man now a commodity?
Americans have been brainwashed into thinking that making as much money as possible is the ultimate goal. That is the lifestyle everybody strives for. And with excess amounts of money comes consumerism. Americans no longer value the material possesions they own. Once something breaks or is no longer useful to them, they just throw it away and buy a new one. They have the mindset that they can just take, take, take, and never give back. I see no benefits whatsoever from consumerism.
This is the power of advertising. They ram it into a person’s head by subjecting them to the idea that happiness, self-esteem, or an identity lies in consuming the latest commodity. If people are subjected to this idea from the age of two up until death, then eventually they will beleive it. Children are very impressionable and the advertisers know this.
I love my ipod! I’m using the word “love” to describe how I feel about my ipod!
Yes this is all correct and truthful but for Americans in America who realize these facts and understand what consumerism ultimately does and means for them, they cannot stop it. You have to go with the flow, to try to fight the economy would be unwise. Not everyone can just pick up and move to a different economy. It sucks. I’d like to think of this day and age as an Anti-Golden Age. Sure things are abundant (to an extent) for everyone to be happy enough, but still, it does nothing for the mind. The body is taken care of (McDonalds is responsible for this one).
As if we were all pigs, in a cage, on antibiotics.