Various pundits are pointing to consumerism as the reason for the destruction of nature, which eventually led to the appearance of the coronavirus and other menaces. They are advocating the idea that we should stop shopping and return to what they call “sustainable” living.
I don’t think it’s natural, and certainly not sustainable to live the way our forefathers lived eons ago. Human nature requires(!) pleasures. We aren’t only animals; we are also humans, and humans have many desires that animals don’t. Needs for entertainment, shopping, or traveling are not luxuries. We really do need them. The problem is not with the desires but with how we use them, and mainly, for what!
We’re all part of one, interconnected system. Everything we do that coincides with our interconnectedness helps us, and everything we do that contradicts our interconnectedness hurts us. If I buy something in order to strengthen my connection with another person, it’s good for me. If I buy that same thing in order to show it off and make others feel bad, it’s bad for me. So the problem is not with our actions, but with our intentions!
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