At first glance that seems ridiculous.
Economic growth and a rising standard of living
have taken on biblical proportions as the righteous path
to a better, more fulfilling, and meaningful life.
As the tide rises we will all be better off, right?
The partner of economic growth and good times
is the aspiration to get rich, to have more, be more.
This is a critical element of the package.
But consider this.
For every force there is an equal and opposing one.
That’s the law of physics. No argument there.
Spending is that other opposing force.
It gets you moving along the path to acquire the good times
because you believe, in part, that your life is wanting, lacking.
You get that from the cultural, material and media messages
that create a self-dissatisfaction, a sense that you are
below standard, an imperfection that needs fixing.
There is an urgency to get it right when your value
is conferred by stuff and others who create a standard
of longing which is near impossible to achieve.
For good measure the bar is raised every now and again.
Each time that happens you review your standing, your progress.
What you “check out” in this exercise is much more than an inventory
and evaluation of where you are, what you have, and how you look.
It becomes an exercise in acquiring more stuff, more fixes
for what is lacking and needed for recognition, satisfaction.
That this spending has become an opposing force
far greater and more powerful than the original driving force
that started it all is evidenced by the fact that your debt
to disposable income ratio is so unbalanced in favor of debt.
The laws of physics shall prevail, however.
Equilibrium will be restored. Prepare for it.
Copyright 2010 William M. MacKay
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