Consumerism

Vonhelmet · 13 Oct 2017 at 23:40

It's stupid, but the whole system relies on it now.

marc2003 · 13 Oct 2017 at 23:50

Vonhelmet said:
It's stupid, but the whole system relies on it now.

Yep. If someone flicked a switch and everyone started acted rationally purchasing only the bare essentials needed to survive, we'd be beyond ****ed.

explicit4u · 14 Oct 2017 at 01:40

I just don't get it, I get laughed at for wanting to purchase an 18 month old phone???

terley · 14 Oct 2017 at 03:41

I take advantage of consumerism..

Women tend not to, buying countless clothes they never wear..

Everything i buy i use fully.. The only exception to this is steam.

Aneskimo · 14 Oct 2017 at 08:22

One thing I have never got my head around is jewellery. I have a white gold wedding ring (missus picked) and that’s it, watches, necklaces, bracelets do nothing for me but there is a massive market for them

wesimmo · 14 Oct 2017 at 08:33

My other half has a shop, she sells second hand designer gear on behalf of people.

The lengths people will go to in order to have a really expensive Chanel bag or whatever baffle me.

It also amazes me how many women go to her with piles of designer clothes they've never worn and ask her to sell them.

Orionaut · 14 Oct 2017 at 08:56

I love consumerism. It allows me to live a luxurious life on the cheap because I buy the dead cheap second hand, barely used, goods for a fraction of the new price that idiots throw away because they always want something new...

Aneskimo · 14 Oct 2017 at 09:10

Seen as this is a computer enthusiast forum who here is guilty of being a serial upgrader buying the latest P.C parts

FortuitousFluke · 14 Oct 2017 at 09:17

itchy said:
Stuff is fluff, you don't need it. If you call it stuff then there is your answer. ;

0

Except it's an answer to a question I wasn't asking. My tv, my pc, my console, books, phone, clothes et al, its all stuff, but it's not useless stuff and it in my opinion enriches my life.

Don't get me wrong I don't actually but things for myself that often, I tend to be measured in making sure I want something but if I do want it, and I can afford it in not going to deny myself because of some abstract concept about the evils of consumerism and wholesome balance that could be achieved if I just decided to sell everything and move to a remote shack in the outer hebrides.

All things in moderation, even stuff.

Caracus2k · 15 Oct 2017 at 23:58

FortuitousFluke said:
All things in moderation, even stuff.

This/

A lot of comments are essentially about over /reckless consumption not consumerism itself.

As I have already stated consumerism is merely the process of exchange by which private individuals are able to obtain items not made, grown or scavenged by themselves. It's the natural development of any human system where there is any surplus of the bare necessities. I'm sure we are all guilty of buying 'stuff' that we didn't end up using much if at all. Hopefully not too much of that stuff ended up getting binned before finding a second owner or more who was able to better utilise it.

The main question with regards to any particular 'level' of consumerism is the degree to which its sustainable.... Be that because it's only supported by massive lending to individuals (who eventually, collectively won't be able to keep servicing their debts with still consuming at the same level) or because it's relaint on massive raw mineral wealth extraction, lack of concern for preservation of the biosphere and poor thought and planning towards the recycling of used goods