04-22-2008, 08:08 AM
America's thirst for consumerism, consumption hard to quench
By John Carroll
I don't know about the rest of you, but I constantly struggle to be satisfied with what I have and to not want more. That might be a result of living in the wealthiest nation in the history of mankind, well maybe except for Solomon's Israel and a few others. But I suspect that I am hard wired to almost always be unhappy with what I have.
My wife and I live in a home that we love, we share it with assorted pets that brighten our lives, and yet something tells me I am a failure because I have a car with 140,000 miles on it and a refrigerator that we bought twenty years ago when we bought our home. I struggle with the desire to have the newest, most expensive (notice I didn't say best or even best value), just like the rest of the Joneses we all try to keep up with. Please accept the fact that I'm conflicted over these issues, and bear with me if I pontificate a bit.
The most distressing part for me is knowing that even if I got a new fridge and a new Beemer, there would be something else that I'd want. No wonder other countries revile Americans. For us, who already consume 25 percent of the world's resources, there is no apparent limit to our appetite. Even the run-up in gas prices, while it has caused a jump in consumer prices, and hopefully will spur research into alternative energy, hasn't kept us off the roads. If you don't take my word for it, take a drive to Appleton or Fond du Lac on U.S. Highway 41.
When is enough actually enough? I know I, long ago, passed the point where I felt that I had all that I needed instead of all that I wanted. I'll probably never get to the point of being satisfied, and I need to accept the fact that it's my ego, plain and simple, that tells me that I need new to replace "good enough."
If we all did this, maybe we could make some progress on changing the world's perception of us.
Don't be surprised, though, if in the future you see me in my brand new Johnny Depp t-shirt.
Original article
By John Carroll
I don't know about the rest of you, but I constantly struggle to be satisfied with what I have and to not want more. That might be a result of living in the wealthiest nation in the history of mankind, well maybe except for Solomon's Israel and a few others. But I suspect that I am hard wired to almost always be unhappy with what I have.
My wife and I live in a home that we love, we share it with assorted pets that brighten our lives, and yet something tells me I am a failure because I have a car with 140,000 miles on it and a refrigerator that we bought twenty years ago when we bought our home. I struggle with the desire to have the newest, most expensive (notice I didn't say best or even best value), just like the rest of the Joneses we all try to keep up with. Please accept the fact that I'm conflicted over these issues, and bear with me if I pontificate a bit.
The most distressing part for me is knowing that even if I got a new fridge and a new Beemer, there would be something else that I'd want. No wonder other countries revile Americans. For us, who already consume 25 percent of the world's resources, there is no apparent limit to our appetite. Even the run-up in gas prices, while it has caused a jump in consumer prices, and hopefully will spur research into alternative energy, hasn't kept us off the roads. If you don't take my word for it, take a drive to Appleton or Fond du Lac on U.S. Highway 41.
When is enough actually enough? I know I, long ago, passed the point where I felt that I had all that I needed instead of all that I wanted. I'll probably never get to the point of being satisfied, and I need to accept the fact that it's my ego, plain and simple, that tells me that I need new to replace "good enough."
If we all did this, maybe we could make some progress on changing the world's perception of us.
Don't be surprised, though, if in the future you see me in my brand new Johnny Depp t-shirt.
Original article