Opinion: Consumption leads our country down the wrong path

Photo+Credit%3A+Anna+Henning+

Photo Credit: Anna Henning

In America, most people are constantly looking for the perfect recipe to create happiness. They want some nugget of hope, some sliver of joy that makes everything they’ve worked for worth it. People try to find this in many ways. Some are sustainable, and some are not. Yet they are all linked together. People look for the satisfaction of making and reaching goals, a positive way to understand what they are capable of. However, it can go wrong when too many goals lead to a search for something that can never be found.

One of the newer things many people use to find such happiness is validation from others. According to Brand Watch, about 2.3 billion people around the world use social media. People use social media for this validation. The number of likes or followers they have brings the illusion that the account owner is liked by others, and for those who care a lot about what people think of them, this is a way to feel accepted. Comments on how amazing the person looks or how cool they are feel great to receive initially. However, when someone else gets more likes, the desire for more sets in.

Like validation, successful outcomes create the craving for more success. As teens grow up, they learn to make choices without added restrictions, as they become an independent member of their community. Each personal action, whether the outcome was good or bad, brings a lesson, and a new opportunity to make things go better for the next time. When positive results occur, such as good grades or a promotion, everything feels complete. But life moves on. Soon a new, tougher goal is set, and they strive to meet that expectation, forgetting the last. People get stuck in a loop, the constant need for improvement and progress, and become miserable.

All of this built up need for validation, success, and the “picture perfect” life translates into the most dangerous source of happiness; consumption. Many people have the mentality, “If I have more of this or that, then I will finally be happy.” This idea originated from the American dream, a concept that a person could start at the bottom, work hard, earn a lot of money, and become successful. However, this has been mutated to a powerful hunger for material possessions. Seeing other people with the latest brands in fashion, most expensive cars, and advanced technology drives people to begin a wild goose chase for stuff. It becomes less about success, and more about what that success can buy.

It is human nature to experience jealousy. People naturally and constantly wish for more. They want the best looks, the best grades, the best vacations, and the best of anything. Some feel as if they have something to prove, as if not having something makes them less of a person. In a way, people pressure each other into feeling insecure about what they have through comparison. This distracts them from what could make them truly happy, by following someone else’s ideals of what a good life looks like. Therefore, competition takes over, and comparisons begin. This results in people only feeling worse about themselves, because they are not happy with what they already have.

New purchases keep the consumer busy for a short time span, when the buildup of excitement is satisfied. However, once the item becomes outdated, the newest model steals their attention and becomes the new goal. In fact, the recent purchase becomes a source of dissatisfaction because it is no longer the best version of something.

Lives are lived with blinders, the full picture is never seen. People that Americans look up to, heroes and celebrities, on computer screens and TVs, display glamour and perfection in their life. They create an illusion of how life should be lived. This distracts Americans from what they need in their life, because it is consumed by what they want, they want perfection; which does not exist. It’s in advertisements, social media, it is everywhere- people who are trying to make money trick consumers into thinking their life will be better with that product. Some lives are taken over with the idea that they should have, could have, would have a better life, if only they had more money to buy more stuff.

What actually creates a person’s identity? Every person struggles with this throughout their life. They seek clarity about who they are through things that bring happiness. Using false sources of happiness to create one’s identity gives the source more power over the individual. These ideas are a temporary solution to something that needs more attention than what stuff can bring.

People often say there aren’t enough hours in the day to do what they want to do. The world is in constant motion, moving from one event to the next, never stopping. Yet somehow, people find time to do things that are completely counterproductive to everything they need to accomplish. Distractions drain time, when “just one more TV episode” results in countless hours in front of the screen.

Along with distracting people from reality, material possessions have absent mindedly replaced human relationships. Joshua Fields Millburn says, “Love people, and use stuff. Because the opposite never works.” Lives are cushioned with stuff, and there is so much disconnect with what is actually going on in the real world. Life is about doing things with people that make other people feel good, an ideal drowned in consumer purchases. Experiences are so much more valuable and meaningful in a person’s life, and should be their top priority.

Consumption is not the issue. Compulsory consumption is the issue. It’s an addiction, really. Getting stuff to fill a void in lives does not improve anything.

The solution is to simplify. Some people, minimalists, create their whole lifestyle around it. Some people use minimalist ideas to improve their daily lives without calling themselves one. As a minimalist, every possession serves a purpose, or brings joy. If this is not the case with something, they have to be willing to let it go. Instead of closets full of clothes they never wear, they have a small closet of their favorite things. Instead of multiple sets of dishes and random kitchen supplies, everything is used often. This concept is used through all items they own.

The point behind all of this is to eliminate distractions. There is no excess stuff. When everything that drags someone down is removed, they feel enlightened. They notice their time freeing up, time for their passions, and new interests, time to be intentional with what they do. Removing false sources of happiness removes unnecessary stress, and clutter.

Understanding wants and needs is extremely important when simplifying one’s life. The first step is understanding what is necessary, and what appears to be necessary. They have to be willing to recognise when they need something for their physical well being compared to their mental well being. In reality most things that are wanted will rarely be used in the future, causing more clutter and less contentment. What someone truly needs often does not even take the form of physical things.

Americans need to feel free. They need to not feel limited by anything that could make them feel bad, but to overcome these obstacles. They need meaningful relationships, ones beyond social media and text messages. People need to feel loved. People need to feel important, and special, and not be weighed down by anyone or anything that compromises these feelings. People need to feel a sense of belonging, wherever they are. By doing this they can make a difference not only in the quality of their life, but also by encouraging others to not give into their false sources of happiness. These needs are not met by consumption, so why is it still used so much? It is only weighing people down.

Minimalism isn’t for everyone. Not everyone desires to live with such a small amount of material possessions. Some are perfectly happy with a lot of stuff, and some are fine with a little. However, their intentions can apply to anyone. It is choosing to reject what people think will give them a better life when it doesn’t. Finding happiness through experiences rather than stuff is the best way to discover whatever it means to the individual. Experiences last longer, even a short period of time can make a larger impact on the individual and their identity. Consumption and the toll it takes on everyday lives distracts from the possible relationships that could be formed, and the possible moments that could be experienced. Everyone looks for more meaning in their lives, and this could be the answer.

Everything is temporary. With everything constantly evolving and innovating, trends come and go. Things break and relationships fall apart. Moments in life will cause happiness and the opposite. Learning from what initiates true satisfaction in one’s life is how they can begin to live it. Compulsory consumption will only harm this process, and therefore should not be the focus of the average American lifestyle.