Keith Hudson wrote: > Indeed -- let's look for causes. That is what I am attempting to do. What > happens if we discover the cause to be inbuilt -- that is, a strong > predisposition to buy consumer products (preferably the latest and > preferably one with visibility) in order to show status?
I agree that striving for status (or rather, for _recognition_) is "inbuilt". However, I suggest that two fundamental parameters are determined by nurture rather than nature, i.e. can be changed: (1) _what_ represents status ? In your system, status is expressed by owning status goods -- the owner shows his wealth by owning expensive goods that others can't afford. This equates status with personal wealth in money. (Note that the status good itself doesn't tell if the wealth was simply inherited or earned through own achievements.) However, status could be defined quite differently, e.g. what a person can do for the community, or how little a person is polluting the environment. To re-define status in these ways, would lead to an anti-consumerist society. (2) the _urge_ for status varies Psychological research on consumerism found that the urge to buy is caused by a shortage of certain neurotransmitters in the buyer's brain. In fact, excessive consumerism has been identified as a mental illness. The levels of these neurotransmitters can be affected by dietary and environmental factors. So, even if we can't re-define status, we can reduce the sometimes pathological urge for status in affected individuals. Unfortunately, corporations and their political lackeys have a vested interest in (1) brainwashing people into equating status with buying status goods, and (2) maximizing the urge for status i.e. buying, both in order to perpetuate and maximize consumerism. > Therefore, in any criticism of consumerism (and I agree that it's now a > damaging symptom of modern society) unless you can find a universal cause > then it is pointless to argue against it morally because it is unstoppable. > If we find a cause, then we might be able to suggest alternatives. Therefore, it _is_ stoppable by (1) re-defining status and (2) by minimizing the urge for status as far as harmful notions of status are concerned. Chris ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SpamWall: Mail to this addy is deleted unread unless it contains the keyword "igve". _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
