Materialism and consumerism.

[gavroche]

We live in a society based on the above and many people criticise the way we live as we use more and more raw materials , although recycling is improving all the time . My question is: " What is the alternative?" Centuries ago, most people just worked just to survive, without any of the pleasures we enjoy today. A small minority had all the privileges and comforts of life while the majority just got by and survived, often, dying young through illness or just being worn out.
Today, most of us can enjoy a life our ancesters would have never imagined and better than the wealthiest had then. This is all because we have become accustomed to acquiring material things to brighten our daily lives.
Can you imagine going back 200 years and living like humans used to then? No thank you.
Personally, I like the way we live now and the things modernism can give me. I understand about the way we also create pollution but humans are working on it and improvement are being made, although " saving the planet" is a ridiculous thing to say as planet earth is not under threat, we are. The earth has at least another 5 billion years to live , until the sun dies out. The earth will go through many climatic changes in that period but I don't believe that humans will survive that long as all species eventually disappear, to be replaced by different species.
So, to come back to my title, " What is the alternative?"

 

[jonny jeez]

There is a flaw in the middle of your statement.

Its not all because we have become used to material things. Its mostly due to advances in healthcare, public services, technology, transport and all manner of scientific advances.

Not all to do with greed, if that's what you meant.

As far as humans dying out. Short of killing ourselves (which is once again a realistic prospect) or running out of resources, We shall survive. We already defy evolution with the use of technology and will continue to do so, no matter what mother earth throws at us....fortunately, or unfortunately.

Be kinda cool if we could all find a way to get along and ensure that our time spent renting this rock is as good as it could be.

 

[John the Monkey]

Did you mean to post this in Café?

 

[Crackle]

We should all go back to Izal toilet paper. Every time we buy something we have to spend 10 days using Izal. Consumerism will be over in a month, companies will collapse, shares will tumble and we'll all be fighting over allotment space. In two years everything will resemble Mad max, Thunderdome.

 

[John the Monkey]

In two years everything will resemble Mad max, Thunderdome.

Will we need another hero, do you think?

 

[Crackle]

Will we need another hero, do you think?

We don't need another hero....

 

[John the Monkey]

We don't need another hero....

Good, now I suppose I just need to worry about knowing the way home.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The alternative? The realisation that the consuming of "stuff", acquiring excess material goods, beyond those we need to meet our actual needs, is not what makes for a fulfilled and happy human life.

 

[John the Monkey]

Are you tired and do you want to go to bed?

I just want a life beyond thunderdome, Reg.

 

[I like Skol]

Not on such a deep scale as the end of life as we know it but just from a pointless consumerism/vain image self-consciousness point of view I do take issue with people who just HAVE to have the latest iPhone 13 or Range Rover Sportage or what ever else it is they deem that they NEED right now, when the reality is that the one they were using before the new model was introduced was perfectly good.
Having the same debate with Lady Skol right now about replacement cars. We have a medium/large saloon car which at 11yrs old is, cosmetically at least, starting to show it's age. Still working pretty damn well and I like it because at this age and condition I have past caring if somebody opens a door against it in the supermarket carpark etc. Lady Skol would like something newer. I would pick something similar because it is fit for purpose and does the job perfectly (and IMO with style). She wants something like a Ford Kuga or VW Tiguan.
I am dead against this because;
She drives 20kpa, it is 4wd, taller, heavier, less easy to get the bikes on the roof, mechanically more to go wrong and maintain, less aerodynamic, etc.
My argument is that a mid/large saloon car gets us and 2 sons inside with luggage for holidays and day trips. Is great on the motorway for her commute and in general such cars are well built just for that purpose.
When asked why she has decided she wants the Kuga/Tiguan her reply is, "They look really nice"!

We are all doomed......

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Sorry - I thought we'd moved on to a different song...

Is that because you had a little drink about an hour ago?

 

[EnPassant]

We are all doomed......

Global warming will see to that.

(ducks and goes out for a cycle).

 

[Crackle]

Talking about consumerism, if you want a cathedral I've got one to spare.

 

[Brandane]

As far as humans dying out. Short of killing ourselves (which is once again a realistic prospect) or running out of resources, We shall survive. We already defy evolution with the use of technology and will continue to do so, no matter what mother earth throws at us....fortunately, or unfortunately.
.

You really think so?
I reckon the end is nigh, we are long overdue being wiped out.
We will get malkied by a large asteroid, the climate will become unbearable for humans, or some mutant bacteria will develop and kill us all.
It might be tomorrow, or it might be in 50k years, but it is surely going to happen, and there's nothing that modern technology can do to prevent it.
I think it is quite arrogant for humans to think that they will somehow defy nature and survive as a race forever.

 

[Electric_Andy]

It is hard to comprehend, but the modern life we live now is just another phase in what will become history. I don't think it's luck that humans evolved to be intelligent (I'm not religious BTW). Cavemen were doing the same as us all those years ago - trying to save time and effort by essentially building tools, and then building tools to build bigger tools.

So, out of that comes "leisure" i.e. stuff that we have that isn't essential. Again, there is evidence to show that early Homo Erectus actually built things like musical instruments. We're just building on what they started.

To answer your question, no there is no alternative. If we were forced to live like cavemen again, it would be because of some global catastrophe. But you can't call that an alternative. If a few people wanted to live "off grid" it would be very difficult. We'd soon be arrested for not paying taxes, or for creating a dwelling on national park, or for eating a squirrel. We've come too far for people to actively choose something different.