10 Good Reasons To Say NO to the Consumer Society.
For a few years now, I've been trying to live a minimalist life.
That doesn't mean I don't own anything of course.
I try to live a minimalist life, but still a consumer.
Because after all, to live is also to consume.
But I worked hard to escape overconsumption and materialism.
What is overconsumption? It's when you start to buy unnecessary things, which we don't really need on a daily basis.
And when you start consuming more than you need, there is no limit!
Indeed, personal credits allow you to continue making purchases even if you do not earn enough money.
During this time, advertising bludgeons us to push us to consume more and more.
In addition, our society makes this excessive consumption appear normal and natural.
Whoever says excessive consumption means bigger houses, faster cars, more fashionable clothes, more sophisticated technologies and overcrowded drawers.
The consumer society promises happiness, but in fact never delivers it. Instead, it arouses the desire to always have more ...
It diverts our passions towards material things that never make us fully happy.
Not to mention the fact that it consumes the limited resources of our planet ...
The time has come to escape this vicious circle, to take a step back and realize that the consumer society brings neither happiness nor satisfaction.
Consumption is necessary, but not overconsumption and materialism. We live much better and enjoy life a lot more.
here is 10 good reasons to say no to the consumer society. Look :
1. We have less debt
French households are on average in debt to the tune of 106% of their net disposable income, i.e. a little more than 36,000 euros per year!
Obviously, this debt causes a lot of stress in our lives ...
In particular, this forces us to do jobs that we don't necessarily like ...
Or do odd jobs to try to rebuild financial health during the weekend.
Getting out of this situation is not easy!
If you are in this difficult situation, know that you can ask for a partial or total remission of your taxes. Find out how to do it here.
In any case, it is high time to seek happiness elsewhere than in department stores and supermarkets.
These places are full of advertisements and false promises.
To discover : 38 Tips To Better Manage Your Money And Never Run Out.
2. We waste less time looking after the things we own
I don't know if you've noticed, but we waste incredible time and energy looking after the things we own.
Whether it's to maintain your home, repair your car or replace broken items, we are wasting our precious time on earth with things we don't really need.
The truth is, you feel a lot better when you have less stuff.
Give it a try and you will see how saving it is!
To discover : Take the Challenge: 30 Days To Do Spring Cleaning In All Businesses.
3. We don't want to always have more
Because of television and the Internet, we are constantly asked to want more and more in our lives.
More TV channels, more clothes, more smartphones, more cars, more entertainment, etc.
And this, even if we do not have the income that goes with it!
The media make us envy the lifestyle of the rich and famous when it is a lifestyle completely disconnected from reality
Not to mention the fact that this way of life is not sustainable for the planet because it uses too much energy.
The only way out is to say no to the consumer society and make sure you live happily with what you already have.
To discover : 12 Reasons You'll Be HAPPIER in a Smaller House.
4. We reduce our ecological footprint
Our land produces resources to meet all our needs ...
... but it does not produce enough to satisfy all our desires!
Whether you are green or not, it is difficult to deny that consuming more resources than the earth can replenish is not a viable trend in the long term ...
Especially when it's for things that are far from useful!
To discover : 16 Simple Tips To Reduce Plastic Waste.
5. We no longer need to follow fashion
Henry David Thoreau once said "every generation laughs at the old fashions, but religiously follows the news."
Recently, I was struck by the wisdom of this thought whether in fashion, decoration or design.
The consumer society needs to constantly create new fashions to keep people spending their money.
And we can say today that our company is a past master in this area!
As a result, each year new trends appear making everything we bought the previous year old-fashioned.
The only way to keep up is to buy the latest new stuff every year when they come out ...
But this is not inevitable !
We can also choose to give up this endless and absurd race to buy only the things that we really need.
To discover : 10 DIY Tips to Make Your Old Clothes Fashionable.
6. We stop wanting to impress others with things we buy
Thorstein Veblen, a social scientist, coined the term "conspicuous consumption" in 1899 in his book titled Leisure Class Theory.
What is conspicuous consumption? It's spending your money on expensive things just to want to impress others.
The goal is to show people around you that you have a lot of income or that you are rich, when this is not necessarily the case.
Although this behavior has existed since the dawn of time, it is now exacerbated because of personal credits.
Yes, we've all been there more or less buying a piece of clothing, a smartphone or a car just to want to impress the gallery.
This is normal, because no human being (in our consumer societies) is spared from this permanent temptation.
7. We become more generous
By spending less time buying things and shopping, you mechanically end up with more energy, more time and more money.
We can therefore use this energy, this time and this money in more useful things that are more in line with our values.
Indeed, by avoiding spending all these resources on ourselves, our heart is automatically more open to others.
As a result, it is easier to express the generosity that we all have deep down.
Don't worry, it's not complicated!
For example, you can start by giving away things you no longer need for free. Find out how here.
8. You feel better about yourself
Many people think that if one day they manage to be happy in their life, they will stop buying more and more things.
In fact, the exact opposite is happening!
It is by choosing to say no to the consumer society that you feel better about yourself.
Why ? Because that's when all the pressure of society on our shoulders disappears.
No need to buy, nor to consume more and more to exist.
No need to follow fashion, or to have the latest smartphone to feel up to the task.
Try and you will see, it is liberating!
9. We become more aware of the lies of advertising
Unfortunately, no one has ever found happiness and fulfillment on the shelves of a department store.
We all know this to be true. We all know that having more and more stuff doesn't make us happier.
We just fell for the trap. Why have we come to this?
Because for decades we have been pummeled by millions of advertisements that make us believe otherwise.
Taking a step back for long enough helps realize how much advertising lies to us and that another, simpler life is possible.
10. We realize that life is not just about buying things
Real life is found in intangible things that we cannot see with the naked eye: love, hope and commitment.
Once again, we all know that there are things in this world that are much more important than what we have.
But we've been too busy looking for happiness in the wrong places.
This is normal, because it is not easy to say no to the consumer society.
If it was, a lot more people would have done it already.
But I think this battle is worth it, because materialism is robbing us of our lives far more than we realize.
The consumer society promises happiness, but in fact never delivers it.
Therefore, we must all try to find it elsewhere.
If the subject interests you, I recommend Pierre Rabhi's book, Towards happy sobriety:
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Also to discover:
Want to Be Happier? Stop Doing These 10 Things Right Now.
85 Inspirational Quotes That Will Change Your Life.
