The Ironies of Consumerism

I think that many people have the meaning of life reversed. To live a meaningful life, one must find out what their purpose is and strive to succeed in fulfilling it. What better means of doing so than to create? Think about it, whatever you want in life… wouldn’t it be more fruitful to envision what it is and go about fulfilling it according to your specifications. And if whatever you create happens to be a success, that what greater pleasure can you derive than that that comes from sharing it with others?

Nowadays, people live under the illusion that by consuming they are in essence producing. For instance, take the example of fashion or art. Many who believe they are “artistic” reach that conclusion on the basis of how many galleries they visit, the kind of clothes they wear, etc… All of which is aimed at constructing a self-conscious illusion that they are “artistic” to themselves and to others, but at the end of the day, what art are they producing? It is similar to those striving to accumulate status symbols in an effort to convince themselves that they are something they’re really not. At the end of the day, consumerism doesn’t lead to much other than shallowness and emptiness.

I am convinced that only through creation and production do we really fulfill our predestined purpose. Production may come from the most trivial to the most significant aspects in life. Whether it’s a photograph that you take, a poem you write, a song you sing, lecture you deliver… any such production means that you’re living out your purpose. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-capitalist or anything of the sort. I believe in the mutual exchange of ideas and goods, but at the end of the day, I believe that one shouldn’t be at a trade deficit. Of course we need to consume in order to generate new ideas, but what really defines us is our creations.

There’s a quote by Gandhi that is something along the lines of: “Only through the service of others do you truly find yourself.” I wholeheartedly believe in that and I strive to fulfill it in whatever I do, even though I may fail short of complete success. I praise the industrious and entrepreneurial spirit in every individual. I commend those who unleash it, and I aspire to emulate them.