Thoughtfolio 75 — the consumerism issue.
What I’ve been reading this week…
A bit of a theme to this week’s issue, that naturally emerged from some articles I came across. They’re longer than usual but I’m pretty sure you’ll think a little differently if you read all three!
Operant Conditioning — the psychology of incentives and learning. (12 mins)
Operant conditioning describes how rewards and punishments influence behaviour. It’s not a complete model for human learning but it does seem to say something about our habits and compulsions.
The Hedonic Treadmill: why we constantly buy stuff and it never makes us happy. (11 mins) — www.vacounseling.com
A great summary of why buy things — with a very interesting observation on how minimalism and consumerism can converge and be equally damaging.
An American President identifies the threat of consumerism. (17 mins) — www.americanrhetoric.com
Jimmy Carter’s ‘A Crisis Of Confidence’ is an incredible speech for an American President to give. Delivered in 1979, here’s a snippet: “In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns.”
If you don’t want to read the whole thing, skip to the middle section underneath the pic of Carter.
“There is a multi-front war being fought for our attention and most of us are losing it.” Sam Harris
