Recently I was reading an article about the founder of Del Forte, an organic denim company. She was saying that her new company makes her so happy that she no longer finds the need to shop for unnecessary materialistic items. She said that the little bit of happiness she used to get from shopping she now gets from her company.
I have noticed that in myself. When I have been bored or unsatisfied in my life I have had an increased tendency to shop or buy little goodies to perk myself up. In contrast, when I’ve been happy and fulfilled, I have had little to no cravings for unnecessary materialistic items.
I bring this up because to create a better world where we are using resources sustainably, we are going to need to curb unnecessary consumption as well. Beyond buying organic or fair trade or local, consuming responsibly also means choosing to buy nothing when it is not necessary.
Given that people in the developed and wealthier countries tend to be less happy than some others (according to the World Values Survey), fixing the environment and the strain we are putting on it seems to go hand in hand with helping people find more fulfillment and happiness in their every day lives.
Does this make sense to anyone else out there or am I getting too esoteric? I would love to hear your thoughts about this. Have you noticed that you consume unnecessarily when you are unhappy or bored? How can we create more fulfillment or happiness in people’s lives so that they will consume less?
February 15th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
I totally understand this Elizabeth. I used to get a real buzz from buying myself treats but since being involved in more fulfilling activities that certainly isn’t the same.
Also, I think when your awareness is raised about where the things you buy might be coming from or how they’re produced that can easily kill your buzz. Who wants a handbag or a coat that has been made by a child in a sweatshop? How can you feel good about a cotton top, knowing that its production may have killed farmers?
Clothes and fashion seem to be a real difficult area for me because if I was going to go on a shopping spree, that’s what I’d buy (I’m not into electronics or fancy mobile phones). However, the availability of ethical clothing on the high street is quite poor so you just don’t want to go shopping.
I have to say though that buying something that I know hasn’t harmed its makers or has had less of a negative impact on the environment makes me feel great! Thank goodness for the likes of People Tree, charity shops and ebay!
Melissa Sterry recently drew my attention to an article that she’s written about the negative side of the fashion industry and I think this highlights many relevant issues.
As featured in the February 2007 issue of Mensa Magazine and online at mediummagazine.net. see the artcle here: http://www.mediummagazine.net/print.html