As mammals, we are born to compete for status within our social hierarchies. Materialism offers a neat way to display one's position in that hierarchy without any longer having to a) beat into submission hundreds or thousands of other men or b) gather a harem of dozens or hundreds of women.
No - all that's needed today is ownership of a private jet, one's own island, a mass-media outlet to control what people think, and a collection of something collectable - artwork, fine wines, classic cars or rare books. "Look at me! I'm a success!" [The corollary is that everyone else not on this level is a loser.]
Because the communist system was so inefficient at generating wealth, value and innovation, even those at or near the top of the status hierarchy were not actually that well-off when compared to rich folk in the free-market West. And when the Iron Curtain fell, and the baubles of consumerist culture became available in countries like Poland, there was a sudden and largely mindless rush to consume, possess and display one's new-found social status.
I suspect that this is why the car-ownership rate in Poland in the highest in the EU. "Amongst the EU Member States with the highest motorisation rates, i.e. passenger cars per thousand inhabitants, Poland (687 passenger cars per thousand inhabitants) heads the list. In second place follows Luxembourg with 681 cars per thousand inhabitants" - Eurostat, March 2022
It's not just cars. Society around me seems to be in a mad rush to earn, consume and display status. Yet once detached from the metaphysical nature of life, all that remains is matter and materialism. The handbrakes are off; self-reflection fades, and what counts is solely What Others Think Of Me.
In mediaeval times, one's place in the pecking order was ordained to a greater extent than today by birth - there were far fewer escape routes from the rural poverty into which most folk were born into. One, of course, was the Church; bright boys could choose the monastic life or enter the priesthood, and there they could study, and advance up this particular hierarchy, with the brightest and best reaching high rank as abbotts or bishops or cardinals. The whole point of celibacy within the Church was to prevent the cumulation of personal wealth for intergenerational transfer; it had to be retained by the Church.
But whatever the system, mankind's inexorable need to display status through the accumulation of goods considered to be luxurious; gold, gems, ermine and works of art. Even the spiritual hierarchy, that takes vows of holy poverty, would still claim "these luxury goods are not mine, they belong to the Church", while enjoying a lifestyle of luxury known only to kings and feudal lords.
I hold that a middle way must be found; for our own personal sanity, for a healthier, better functioning society, and for our planet that is being steadily warmed by two billion rich people as they consume.
We must be aware of our behaviour and motivation as consumers; we must buy less, make do with what we have, and be conscious of our spending decisions. "Aim to live in comfort, not in luxury", remains a motto of mine; knowing when to get out of the rat-race is crucial. This is when maturity kicks in, overcoming the social creature within us all that's unwittingly guided by the mammalian imperative to show off. Maturity blossoms into enlightenment, which can reach the state of transcendence; but much water must flow first under the bridge. "If you're not married by 30 and made by 40, you're an all-round fool", my mother used to tell me. But external pressure to compete is not a wise counsel. Knowing when to take the foot off the materialist accelerator is a sign of wisdom, a sign that you know that there's more to self than ego.
The quest for knowledge, understanding and ultimately, serenity, is for me a far greater driver than any material ambition. Yes, I'd like to buy the wood next door someday, but my motivation to enlarge the amount of land I own knowing that under my stewardship, plants and wildlife will come to no harm. No felling, no clearing, no mowing, no pesticides, no herbicides; allowing nature to take its own course as far as possible.
If I'd wish to engage in competition, it would indeed be a competition to know and to understand - not to display material goods for the admiration of others. But even this competition would be of the good-natured sort, its ultimate aim being the attainment of a higher level of understanding that through cooperation can be disseminated broadly through society.
This time last year:
To Rzeszów and back by rail, Pt. I
This time last year:
To Rzeszów and back by rail, Pt I
This time two years ago:
Science, Religion, Magic and Consciousness
This time five years ago:
The house on the działka, coming on
This time six years ago:
Autumn comes early
This time seven years ago:
Kriegslok passes through Jeziorki
This time 11 years ago:
A little way west of Jeziorki
This time 12 years ago:
The Old Sailor's Tale - part II
This time 13 years ago:
Prague-Jeziorki-Moscow
This time 14 years ago:
The passing of Lt. Cmdr. Tadeusz Lesisz
This time 16 years ago:
Summer ends, autumn begins
Posts
3 comments:
good post. I feel the same way about the desire for bigger housing, it is never ending.
I will quibble with the car statistics. Is it not true that many of these registered cars have long since been sold off on the grey market to buyers in third countries? If you believe the statistics Poland also has by far the oldest car inventory, and I don't think that is true either. People just don't bother to register change of ownership or scrapping, since there is no incentive or punishment?
@ Anonymous
The car statistics are indeed somewhat skewed by the age of Poland's car fleet. Judging by the cars driving around Chynów, there's a fair number that are well over 20 years old, but Pan Heniek and Pan Ziutek's garages are able to keep them passing their przegląd techniczny year after year... Why are second-hand cars more expensive in Poland than in Germany? The labour costs of car mechanics. In Germany, a car becomes uneconomic to repair and service after a shorter time than in Poland - and so they cross the border. I suspect that the same hold true re: Poland's eastern neighbours.
Well, not just maintenance costs. In my country of Denmark you are obliged to pay an owners fee, which is based on the age and typical fuel consumption when in use. The older the car the higher this fee tends to be, so there is a clear incentive to get something fuel efficient and relatively new. If Poland does not have something like that, it isn't difficult to see why there might be a great many old clunkers sitting around, in more or less useable condition. and my suspicion is that there are many of those that aren't really in use, or even useable, but still figure in the statistics.
Such a fee is also useful because it incentivises the authorities to spend effort in actually keeping accurate track of the vehicle inventory, thus contributing to more accurate statistics.
Post a Comment