On Consumption

HappyScribe · 2016-07-07T02:09:02+00:00

Good post.

Define yourself not by what you consume but by what you produce - a ripped body, a business, your friendships, art, science projects.

I believe a lot of the depression in society is because we've become passive consumers, not active producers.

Zombocom1911 · 2016-07-07T04:09:18+00:00

Fight Club quote : "Sooner or later , the shit you own, ends up owning you."

I_Need_More_Space_ · 2016-07-07T05:27:17+00:00

Great post, man. Glad to see some depth going down in TRP. As a user already commented, "The things you own begin to own you," is so fucking true. I live that quote. I'll talk to myself aloud and ask why I care so much about an inanimate object (when nobody is looking). I'll even chew myself out for caring about a tarnished possession. The masters of the consumer industry are working tirelessly to brainwash you into thinking that possessions bring happiness. It's a conscious struggle to fight the barrage of marketing. That's why I don't watch tv, do social media, or other consumer hubs besides the internet.

Black-Pill · 2016-07-07T03:32:44+00:00

My (20y.o.) fridge broke today. I spent 20 minutes surfing a couple of DIY sites and then drove to a used appliance store near my house, bought the 5$ part I needed and drove back home. 3 minutes with a flat head screw driver and my fridge is back in working order.

I figured out a long time ago to first; buy good, solid, quality built stuff and second; learn how to maintain it properly and fix it myself.

I admit that much of what I own is neither very fancy or flashy, but all of it is highly functional and I take pride in the fact that I don't have to call in somebody to fix it for me.

-Riskbreaker- · 2016-07-07T10:01:49+00:00

I'm in the process of quitting a job I hate, minimising my life down to what I can fit in a bag, and getting out there to just experience the world for a while. I see it as kind of a reboot, to see what I can do with very little and find out how much I really need, then to slowly build upon that without the excesses of mindless consumption. Even the process of selling everything is a pain, and the actual value of some of the expensive rubbish I bought is next to nothing. It all just adds clutter to the mind, I can't wait till it's gone.

[deleted] · 2016-07-07T01:51:38+00:00

Great post on consumption

Your Christmas sounds like mine. Final Fantasy VII was the shit. Games got rid of good stories and replaced them with mindless repetition.

Consumption is a bad cycle to be in because as chadee points out. YOU CANNOT WIN. The industries want you to be HAPPY CONSUMERS and to keep buying and buying. People always want more STUFF, they think they need more STUFF, they come to believe that the main thing they need in life is more STUFF. The truth is that a man really doesn't need much STUFF and attaching too much value to material things will cause you to lose site of what really holds value. Simply in my opinion, FREEDOM and TIME. Everything you buy becomes an extra chain holding you down.

The other main takeaway is that you don't need STUFF to get women. Women like men who know what they want and have ambition, dominance, and confidence. Only WORTHLESS women place a man's worth solely on material things. So another perk of not being a happy consumer is you screen out a lot of the gold diggers automatically. Caveat: I am not saying look like a piece of shit, you still need to maintain your appearance and looks.

mugatucrazypills · 2016-07-07T03:02:07+00:00

I only buy shit I am planning on using. If I don't what is the purpose? A lot of electronics for example I buy second hand for a fraction of the original price. Stuff that is 3/4 years old maybe. Yes it's not the latest/fastest or whatever but essentially it works and I can use it for a long time. People don't appreciate what they do have when it comes to consumer products. For example why the fuck do you need a new phone every year? You're buying shit with your hard earned money to impress people who you don't know or like, that's a big achievemeny in life right there. The same when it comes to a car, I see someone with an expensive Porsche with a golddigging whore next to him. I laugh because yes you might have more money than me, but that's all you have man. No I am not jealous of your car or woman, I would love to have both of them yet I don't need that shit to make me feel good. When you park the car you're always in fear somebody damages it. It consumes your mind. You care more about the image you want people to see, than being a real person that is free in a mental and physical state. Essentially the things you own.. end up owning you.

Stythe · 2016-07-07T11:25:37+00:00

Fantastic observation and we'll put. I had this issue growing up and my parents were both big on pushing good grades and buying things to buy my love and even better at not building a personal relationship. They are consumers.

Having spent most of my childhood and a chunk of adulthood depressed, fat and lonely, I started looking at things that really made me happy, even if they kimd of sucked at Fort, and made goals towards achieving those things. Exercise for example, or being funny. Much of this was still based in a consumerist competition mindset of "am I finally better than them?" but a lot of it was still in the right direction.

The biggest freedom came to me when my ex broke up with me after I sacrificed my income and savings, moved out with her, lost my job and went on anti'depresses for the first time in over a decade all because I couldn't please her and was losing my mind. I had to sell almost all my possessions, deal with my deepest weaknesses and look at myself honestly while paying off debt and being mentally unstable and confused. After I sold most of my possessions I realized I had been a fake. All my shelves of DVDs and games and books so people could comment on my cool tastes. All my possessions so I could live isolated from others and be endlessly distracted from the emotional void that left. All my walls, built over the years, had collapsed. I felt free. I felt happy. I had to rely on my own ingenuity and friends for entertainment. I quickly discovered how creative I could be. I made time for art, for reading, for cooking. I saw which friends actually enjoyed my company and which ones just wanted to use some bodies cool stuff. I told people to go fuck themselves if they were being shitty because I already had enough problems to deal with.

There was so much good to come from having nothing. It really ground you. I now have real pride and focus and a path I've chosen. I realize it's not perfect, but perfection isn't the point. Constant improvement is.

Consumerism is being the best by having the best. You will never be the best because the best products always change. You'll just keep spending money for status.

Real success is knowing that you can always learn and improve. You can meet new people, hear new ideas, try new things and see what life is all about. This is what being a real person is.

lurking_lion · 2016-07-07T13:13:31+00:00

Fantastic post. You raise an important point about doing things just to impress women.

I've been thinking a lot about desire lately (is it bad or just the condition of this world?) and I think that we should use our desire to remove other desires, rather than fuel them. In addicts desire becomes the outcome of their actions.

Most guys don't want to admit it, but the desire of women truly is the final step for us in overcoming materialism. Take away the need to impress women (selling out), and most men could easily be monk masters with little need for more than the bare essentials.

Women look to us for love and direction. If they are lacking in that they will look to fill that void in endless consumerism, much like the child whose parents try to buy his love.

TheRedChemist · 2016-07-07T08:18:52+00:00

A useful mantra about buying Stuff:

Do I still want this thing if nobody else could ever know I had it?

You'll notice that when you apply it, many things immediately lose a lot of their appeal. Projections of status is part of society, there's nothing inherently wrong with it, but it's something we're often not conscious of. Become aware that you are essentially this guy.

arul20 · 2016-07-07T09:57:26+00:00

"Desire is the cause of one's suffering"

-- The Buddha

mabden · 2016-07-07T17:11:15+00:00

“A woman’s test in life is a material. A man’s test in life is a woman. Men have nice cars--not because they like nice cars, but because they know women like nice cars.” – Dave Chappelle

Expensive cars attract expensive girlfriends.

seeforce · 2016-07-07T06:37:43+00:00

This is great man, really connects with everything I've been meditating on lately. I'm in an anger phase these days about how we live in this huge consumer paradigm, looking forward to breaking through it and building something meaningful that will last generations.

smfc · 2016-07-08T17:09:51+00:00

men get their wives "expensive" rings because DeBeers is hustling the fuck out of everyone. in reality those rings are probably worth way less at cost. and all these men buy into the bullshit.

[deleted] · Thu Jul 7 3:59:32 2016 UTC

[permanently deleted]

Title	On Consumption
Author	[deleted]
Upvotes	60
Comments	24
Date	July 7, 2016 1:01 AM UTC (10 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/TheRedPill
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/TheRedPill/comments/4rlu0b/on_consumption/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/TheRedPill/on-consumption.60582 https://theredarchive.com/post/60582

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