I've heard the argument that free-market capitalism relates to the common person in terms of "keeping up with the Jones'" a positive feedback loop ever increasing and expanding our consumption of materials, land, and human life force. Where vanity and power reflect purely the drive of material success. What is missing here is the drive of pleasure.
What I do not deny is that the current rate of environmental impact cannot be sustained indefinitely. This is true, but this is not what I want to address here now. And my reader is not to suspect that I have any secret motive against the most pervasive economic system. In my view the most successful and useful system of wealth generation and of techniques to raise mankind higher in knowledge and power over his environment.
As a member of this consumption-driven culture I have been manipulated greatly and tragically by the minds of powerful creative manipulators, armed with the most effective known methods for concentrating my desires onto the devices and services to which they have been tasked to sell me. As a child I was convinced to love plastic, metals, and cardboard more than flesh; meaning, my GI Joe figures, Hotwheels, games, and other toys would occupy a very large place in my heart. All of these things are meaningless to me now no matter how much I may have enjoyed, idolized, horded, fantasized, or fought over. Nonetheless I was (and still am) a product of my environment that cannot be denied.
Sure, many of these materialistic desired have evolved their way into my adult life and have found places within my expanding region of life experience. Categories within the priorities system that I have faciliated, where the rays of light shine down over these places stirring up interest within them as the sun shines down on the land to give growth to the plants below. I cannot always control which or how these desires are awakened, and through the clever synthesis of advertisers and marketing experts shine this light over these exposed regions of categories bringing to my awarness old and new desires. In other words, taking what I already know of products and services and inventing new ways for me to enjoy them.
OK, so enough with the self-diagnostics. The fact is that my body seeks after comfort and my mind after beauty. Things like greed, vanity, and competition are other sociological factors that
relate to consumerism. I supposed I could theorize that I am feeling more comfortable than you are (perhaps by measuring my blood pressure or by my unfurrowed brow?), or that my widget is more beautiful that yours (perhaps by taking a poll of 1500 respondents about what is beautiful?), but this is not what I am talking about here. Truly my quest is to seek out experiences or consult with wise council as to what would cater to my body and to my sense of beautiful. Who else would know better than others who have experienced these for themselves?
My first car was a comfortable and beautiful Chevy Cavalier, it had more curves than my 10-speed bicycle and was more more comfortable, especially while driving in the rain or snow. As a young man my experience with cars was limited and so anything was better than my bicycles. So there is a kind of inflation of requirements the older and more experienced one becomes. After the engine on my Cavalier blew I needed a reliable car and so I got a Honda Civic, then three years later I needed more power so I got a faster Civic, then 4 years later I needed more space so I got a Sonata, then 4 years later I expect I will inprove on the comfort and beauty for my next vehicle. It would be very difficult for me to go back to a small or inexpensive car knowing what I know of my expectations for comfort and beauty. Of course not everyone is impressed by cars, so this could be replaced by any such consumable object.
In summary, there is an increasing scale of demands placed on the consumer according to physical comfort and perceived beauty which increases up to a certain level for a given consumable.
As Jesus teaches me, even though my body contains vessels of delights that can store up pleasures (physical comforts and percieved beauty) these vessels will fairly quickly, and will deplete themselves leaving a void. These things are not meant to be ends within themselves, but are a part of what it means to be human. Ultimately education of the limitations of stimulation and perceptions are keys to wisdom.
