ETA: HERE IS THE LINK, LOL Are You Unhappy? Is It Because of Consumer Addiction? | Health and Wellness | AlterNet

This is a good article about consumerism and the psychological aspects. I really do think that part of a shopping habit for me in the past was to try to make myself feel better about problems in my life. I think we all can see this at some point. I'm just glad my addictions have turned to "anti-consumerism." It's a lot cheaper, LOL. Here is a quote from the article that I really liked.

"Consumption without need is the hallmark of addiction, and "consumerism" is defined as "the equating of personal happiness with the purchasing of material possessions and consumption." The pattern of out-of-control consumption in the United States, which per capita consumes 70 times more than India, with three times the U.S. population, is not qualitatively different from the well-known patterns of behavior of substance abusers. In fact, it looks as if the United States just finished with the worst binge of its life and is now cresting the peak of a wicked crash."

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"It's time to move from what we can do, to what we must do, to what we will do." ~Hillary Clinton

Do you have a link to that article? I'd like to read it.

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I've been working hard to get better about buying things for the children. You may have noticed from my house that I do not collect anything and do not have any bling for myself. It wasn't hidden in the closets, I promise!

Although I agree with the big picture of over-consumption, I don't agree with, "Consumption without need is the hallmark of addiction". If everyone were to buy things just because they needed it, what a sad world we'd live in. What about music, dance, and the arts? People don't need these things to survive, but how much nicer listening to music, or looking at a painted picture, or watching a talented person dance makes our lives.

ROFL, I forgot the link! I will go find it.

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"It's time to move from what we can do, to what we must do, to what we will do." ~Hillary Clinton

RIGHT, but I think the point is (MY point anyway) that we can find music without buying every music player on the market or even every CD. I can have music without buying. I can have art without buying it. "Consumption without need" is talking about ANY addiction--drugs, food, alcohol, etc...not just buying things. I'm more of an everything in moderation type of gal, these days, so I am not telling you to stop listening to music or watching tv or buying things. I'm just bringing up food for thought.

ETA: If you use the food example--yes, we do need food, but so many times we eat it as a sport or habit long after our need for it is gone. Like buying things, it can be WAY over done.

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"It's time to move from what we can do, to what we must do, to what we will do." ~Hillary Clinton

I agree with this. I guess in our areas of the world we are lucky enough to be able to eat for pleasure rather than just for sustenance. This can lead to problems with our health. Better to (be able to) have more food than not enough.

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