Blinded by materialism

In childhood, my desire for possessions boiled down to wanting toys. Diecast cars - Corgi, Dinky and Matchbox - plastic model kits - Airfix, Frog and Revell - and of course there was Lego. Stoking such desire were the toy catalogues; by poring over the colourful brochures, I would compare the features of one toy vs another, and badger my parents into buying them for me, or waiting until my birthday or Christmas to get them, gift-wrapped. Yes, there were books. Books tended to come from Ealing Public Libraries, borrowed rather than collected. I read voraciously as a child, mostly non-fiction reference books about aircraft, military matters, railways and other such topics. The library system worked so well that I didn't actually own that many books as a child. Materially, my childhood was a time of simple wants, safe under my parents' wings. 

One grows up. Fitting into society requires a different approach to things. As a teenager, this was about the clothes you wore, the music you listened to, going out as often as possible. All other material needs still provided by parents.

But once out on your own, with a job and housing to pay for, it became important to show you were by the measure of your material possessions. Car, property, baubles, exotic holidays. Work to spend, spend to show off. Your position in the status hierarchy is determined to a great degree by what you have. Your job, your earnings, where you live, how you dress; your lifestyle. The social self is moulded by groupthink; the young adult tries hard to fit in. Doing a job you don't like to buy things you don't need to impress people you don't know.

And it is in this state of development that many remain for the whole of their lives; living through the prism of social approbation. Unable to progress, autonomous decisions are not from them, because "what will they think?" 

If there is no metaphysical purpose to life, and literally all that there exists is matter, then there is no other purpose to life than mere consumption. Even to question this imperative seems to be a subversive act. For we all need Growth. Growth is good - a bigger cake, bigger slices for all - jobs, money, taxes, government services... And without growth a downward spiral. Unemployment. Poverty. Discomfort. Hunger and cold and ill health. Things falling apart. Entropy. Our life can only hold up through growth! Growth can only be obtained through making more, selling more, buying more, consuming more.

Is this so? Not necessarily. The climate crisis is forcing us to examine our behaviour and change our patterns of consumption. The rich quarter of humanity is threatening the rest of the planet.

Stop wanting stuff. Open your consciousness to higher states; if you must chase after something, chase the metaphysical. Our new digital world offers such vast new oceans of knowledge to interact with; so many great science and philosophy communicators on YouTube, so many wonderful articles on Wikipedia and elsewhere on the web, everything searchable, and AI is about to make knowledge even more accessible. The richness of the inner life now can truly take over from a mindless chase for new things to offer short-term delight.

This time last year:
The Bright Side (where things don't go bump in the night)

This time six years ago:
Waiting for the level-crossing barriers - Nowa Iwiczna and W-wa Dawidy

This time seven years ago:
More Sandomierz photos

This time eight years ago:
All aboard the Gold Train rush

This time 12 years ago:
Dominicans at large, Służew 

This time 13 years ago: 
Late summer moods, Jeziorki 

This time 14 years ago: 
The next one hundred years 

This time 15 years ago: 
"What do we want? Early retirement!
When do we want it? NOW!" 

This time 16 years ago: 
Twilight of Warsaw's greenhouse economy