For those who came in late: I have gone off consumption, not because of the absence of money or an overdose of ideology, but because I’m tired of buying things; and if my year-long experiment results in a multi-million dollar book deal, what a bonus that would be!
But, as I said, that’s only part of the story.
For a while now, I have been trying to deal with a dichotomy in my life (tweet).
As an individual, I don’t read the newspaper, watch TV, or listen to the radio, I haven’t “shopped” for six months, and I try not to travel beyond a 10 km radius (tweet).
As a marketer, however, I love the art and science of marketing, I adore brands, and I’m hardwired into the idea of capitalist free markets driven by consumerism.
So, when I observe people wanting to spend less, swap instead of spend, go local, go organic, stop buying things, or generally say no to brands, I’m torn into two halves.
One part of me (me-as-a-person) knows exactly what they are talking about, because I feel equally overwhelmed by the brands + media + retail triumvirate.