During the last 18 months many former consumers have said "Bye-Bye" to Buy, Buy, Buy.
Either by choice, or by force, or both, many are joining the ranks of anti-consumer survivors across the globe.
If the power brokers ever succeed in "restarting the economy", many of those former consumers will never say "Hello" to consumerism again.
They are finished.
Many can see that it may be prudent at this juncture in history to switch from being a consumer to being a survivor.
Unless you are very rich, you can't be both.
When you leave consumption as a way of life behind you, it is possible to see the way forward more clearly.
Survivors are focused on growing a garden and raising their own food. They are busy investing in social capital and their local community and economy.
Survivors look for ways of circumventing the negative effects of corporate and government control of our lives.
They make changes that allow them to operate outside of the matrix.
Making a conscious choice to become self-reliant and resilient as a family, group, or community means becoming active survivors rather than continuing on as passive, dependent consumers.
Eventually we will all need to reject the mindless waste of the Buy, Buy, Buy propaganda we have been subjected to for far too long.
Bye-bye.
Sorry all for my initial incomplete and incoherent comment. I usually comment under Anonymous, but the Wondering Writer name popped in - a name I used in other places but not anymore.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, just wanted to say that although we are not a large consumer household, we too are buying less and finding that brings us much joy. For myself it has been a learning on properly managing my expectations of the feelings a purchase will bring. Before buying something would at times bring me good feelings - now not so much. Life is all about growing, learning, developing...and that is what I am doing. Thank you. - Mary
I took down your original comment. Thank you for reposting your observations on your personal changes. They are good ones.
DeleteRecently I had a conversation with my sister who loved shopping as recreation and had no desire to give it up. Now she says she has no desire to ever go back to that again! At the beginning of lock-down she couldn't wait to get back to her normal routine, now she's truly lost the urge. I'm hoping many who used shopping as a pacifier will now give it up for good. Surely we can see what truly is essential now.
ReplyDeleteThat is great news. This must be happening to lots of people during the past 18 months. It is like the stoppage shocked many out of their previous negative behaviours after seeing them in a new light.
DeleteI do hope many are seeing how much non-essential crap has entered into our economies and lives. We can let it all go, and have better lives as a result.
Cheers for your sisters changes!