While men and women seem to do it –shopping--differently
you still have to get it right to both feel good and meet your goals.
These are different in so many respects.
Feeling good is instant; satisfaction in the moment.
A welcome rush of dopamine as you salivate over
all the great stuff you could choose and finally purchase.
Isn’t it wonderful! Spending has its rewards
that have nothing to do with the object purchased.
But that often is the problem. Think QVC, the shopping channel.
Goal achieving is another matter.
The journey may be long, difficult, and frustrating at times.
At others, it provides a gratification that comes from
the recognition that you are making progress
towards something you have identified and thought about
as a way to make you really happy, provide security,
give you the status you crave, the lifestyle you want.
Gender differences are important to consider here.
Evolutionary psychologists are exploring how shopping
trigger some of your basic instincts which program you
to respond in certain ways unique to your gender.
Foraging and gathering for women with their sensibility
toward color, texture, and shape lend themselves to trips to the mall
and the social and companionable aspects of shopping with a friend.
Not everything is ever right (ripe) so repeated trips are essential.
Men are programmed to be more solitary in their hunt for prey
bringing home anything that met the immediate need.
Once captured, it was over and done with. Let’s eat.
Shifting the purpose of the gathering and hunting
toward longer term goals helps both genders focus differently.
Spending is no less gratifying when it supports a purpose
where the time horizon is longer and the fruits of the harvest
are evolutionary, building for the future as you age
and are challenged to survive in a different world.
Think about it the next time you go hunting or gathering.
Copyright 2010 William M. MacKay
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