The Overspent Societies

I just finished reading a very good book, "The Overspent American" by Juliet B. Schor.
But most of it applies to other consumerist cultures too. And even though it was published in 1999, it's still relevant today. Sadly.

I'm going to share a few of the best excerpts from the book.

"Through the strong personal connections people come to feel toward products, our possessions become, in the words of Russell Belk, our 'extended' selves. 'That we are what we have is perhaps the most basic and powerful fact of consumer behavior.' One consumer survey found that nearly half of car owners saw their car as a reflection of who they are either 'a lot' or 'some'.

In fact, the identity-consumption relationship is a two-way street. Who we are not only affects what we buy. What we buy also affects who we become. "

"There is a new game in town -individuality. In the words of one advertising magazine, ' Lifestyle advertising is about differentiating oneself from the Joneses, not as in previous decades, keeping up with them.' In the so-called new middle (and upper-middle) classes, individuality and differentation are essential. Why? Because mass-produced goods are too homogenous, too common. Everybody has them. This makes them incapable of conferring distinction. These groups prefer items with a customized dimension.

The irony of the 'new differentation' is that it too has become common. Upmarket tastes, just like downmarket ones, are predictable. Even the really differentiated symbol, like the Caribbean island you get to first, the newest high-performance sport, or art clothing, is just the latest status item. While most people experience these tastes as just being themselves, they are actually being a lot like everyone else."

"Between seeing and buying lies the inner world of desire. Recent literature has focused on fantasy, imagination, and vicarious experiences as key aspects of modern consumer behavior. Spending fantasies are prevalent, indeed commonplace. People anticipate, they daydream, and they plan their participation in the 'enchanted domain' of consumer culture"

"We had to really examine where all of our money was going. And I would submit to you that most of it was the little stuff that added up over a period of time."

"Denial also helps us navigate the moral conflicts associated with consumption. Most of our cherished religious and ethical teachings condemn excessive spending, but we don't really know what that means.
As our salaries and creature comforts expand, many of us keep alive our youthful fantasies of doing humanitarian work, continuing the inner dialogue between God and Mammon. Not looking too hard helps keep that inner conflict tolerable. "

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What do you think?
I think that I am too darn particular in what I like. Creating the "perfect home" or "perfect wardrobe" that is "perfectly me" is so stressful and soul-sucking that I'd rather go for the bare necessities -kind of life.