Something that I'm meditating on lately is that Consumerism is present even in the social media algorithm. All content is created to be consumed and discarded. Nobody is going to look for a tweet or a TikTok from 2 months ago. Youtubers leave the platform due to the pressure of constantly creating content. How many today listen to the Shakira song that was played every day a year ago. Same with movies and shows in streaming platforms. Keeping all that online also consumes resources and energy, but entertainment is preferable, so I think that by closing Instagram and rereading that book I love or listening to those old CDs also reduces my carbon footprint (in a bit)
Alejandro, I agree, our time is far better spent reading a good book than on any social media, unfortunately. The technology has potential, but the way it is being used these days is just not worth it. I have let both Facebook and Twitter some time ago, and never looked back.
This dialogue reminds me of one in The Republic where Socrates is trying to describe a peaceful society where everyone is content and has a role to play; roasting chestnuts after a dinner of barley loaves and roasting chestnuts for dessert. Thrasymacus counters that it would be the life of a pig! I think there is a certain romantic attraction to a simple life without the trimmings, as evidenced by the popularity of cable shows about people living on the fringe. But doesn’t big business and industry pay for important advances in science and medicine; I don’t think we could have come up with the RNA vaccine for Covid in Socrates’s village.
Tommy, big business certainly does have *some* positive effects on society. Part of the question is whether such effects are sufficient to balance things out.
In terms of research, a lot of the funding actually comes, directly or indirectly, from the government, through grants given to both universities and private laboratories.
But I think we could have it both ways if we better regulated big business and the billionaires it produces. Setting that aside, however, this is about personal choices, arguing that consumerism is bad for one's soul. I'd agree.
Talk about serendipity! My wife and I started a minimalist challenge this month. Every day we each get rid of a number of things that correspond to the day of the month - one thing on the first, two things on the second, etc. Starts easy, however it gets more difficult towards the end of the month. I think I will rebrand it the Cynic challenge for added inspiration!
Although there a overlapping stories in Lucian's True History and the Tales of Baron von Munchausen, I haven't ever seen any direct attributions. Your digression on Lucian was very pleasing, since he has long been a favorite writer of mine.
Though I don’t disagree with your thoughts on consumerism & as a result the global warming, one needs to see the positive side. It creates employment so people can put food on the table & have a roof over there head. This morning reading an article on how this year Apple is starting there production in a small village in India & overnight 85,000 jobs will be created & as a result millions are being pulled out of poverty because of consumerism. Much as I dislike what is happening to the planet there is no easy answer.
Naresh, I hear you. But isn't that exactly what Apple (and others) want? To get us to ignore the huge human and environmental costs of the fact that they get obscenely rich in exchange for a few shiny iPhones. And I say this as a near absolute Apple enthusiast.
No meditation necessary here! This is on point today, and, fascinatingly, two millennia ago. I find these dialogues so appealing because each side takes the other to their edge in argument. Naturally, I align with Kynikos logically, reasonably, and sensibly; and I happen to be living this way in this chapter of my life. (It still excites me to see these words through the wormhole of time.) However, Lykinos makes a seemingly compelling point that Kynikos appears impoverished, maybe an eye sore, and maybe intentionally doing it to prove a point, be obscene, and get attention. We hear these rationalizations daily. He is disgraceful and living like an animal, when he probably doesn’t have to. But that’s in the eyes of Lykinos! He’s offensive to him because he is not striving [consuming] for more. Well, that’s a personal problem of Lykinos. Sounds like Kynikos is quite content, and actually acting virtuously within the cosmopolis. And that works for me as fellow Stoic. 😊
I was at a work happy hour when a coworker was complaining about the lack of high end beer and it occurred to me that in many ways sophistication is the death of fun. I'd wager Lykinos would have complained about the beer as well
Nadia, perhaps we do have a natural instinct to gather resources, or one that pushes us toward luxury goods in order to confirm our status in the group. But very clearly some people can control such instincts, and not just the Cynics.
It's like xenophobia: it's natural, but many manage to control it and even overcome it.
Also, let's not forget that modern capitalist society is an aberration in the history of the world, so let us not take the current situation as either typical or natural.
Something that I'm meditating on lately is that Consumerism is present even in the social media algorithm. All content is created to be consumed and discarded. Nobody is going to look for a tweet or a TikTok from 2 months ago. Youtubers leave the platform due to the pressure of constantly creating content. How many today listen to the Shakira song that was played every day a year ago. Same with movies and shows in streaming platforms. Keeping all that online also consumes resources and energy, but entertainment is preferable, so I think that by closing Instagram and rereading that book I love or listening to those old CDs also reduces my carbon footprint (in a bit)
Alejandro, I agree, our time is far better spent reading a good book than on any social media, unfortunately. The technology has potential, but the way it is being used these days is just not worth it. I have let both Facebook and Twitter some time ago, and never looked back.
I agree that luxury is absolutely unnecessary to a good life and that it probably breeds vices like envy
This dialogue reminds me of one in The Republic where Socrates is trying to describe a peaceful society where everyone is content and has a role to play; roasting chestnuts after a dinner of barley loaves and roasting chestnuts for dessert. Thrasymacus counters that it would be the life of a pig! I think there is a certain romantic attraction to a simple life without the trimmings, as evidenced by the popularity of cable shows about people living on the fringe. But doesn’t big business and industry pay for important advances in science and medicine; I don’t think we could have come up with the RNA vaccine for Covid in Socrates’s village.
Tommy, big business certainly does have *some* positive effects on society. Part of the question is whether such effects are sufficient to balance things out.
In terms of research, a lot of the funding actually comes, directly or indirectly, from the government, through grants given to both universities and private laboratories.
But I think we could have it both ways if we better regulated big business and the billionaires it produces. Setting that aside, however, this is about personal choices, arguing that consumerism is bad for one's soul. I'd agree.
Talk about serendipity! My wife and I started a minimalist challenge this month. Every day we each get rid of a number of things that correspond to the day of the month - one thing on the first, two things on the second, etc. Starts easy, however it gets more difficult towards the end of the month. I think I will rebrand it the Cynic challenge for added inspiration!
Thanks as always for a wonderfully timely essay.
Andrew, oh wow! Keep us posted on the challenge! And good thing February is a short month! (Though 29 days this year...)
Don't think that wasn't intentional!
Although there a overlapping stories in Lucian's True History and the Tales of Baron von Munchausen, I haven't ever seen any direct attributions. Your digression on Lucian was very pleasing, since he has long been a favorite writer of mine.
most interesting
Though I don’t disagree with your thoughts on consumerism & as a result the global warming, one needs to see the positive side. It creates employment so people can put food on the table & have a roof over there head. This morning reading an article on how this year Apple is starting there production in a small village in India & overnight 85,000 jobs will be created & as a result millions are being pulled out of poverty because of consumerism. Much as I dislike what is happening to the planet there is no easy answer.
Naresh, I hear you. But isn't that exactly what Apple (and others) want? To get us to ignore the huge human and environmental costs of the fact that they get obscenely rich in exchange for a few shiny iPhones. And I say this as a near absolute Apple enthusiast.
No meditation necessary here! This is on point today, and, fascinatingly, two millennia ago. I find these dialogues so appealing because each side takes the other to their edge in argument. Naturally, I align with Kynikos logically, reasonably, and sensibly; and I happen to be living this way in this chapter of my life. (It still excites me to see these words through the wormhole of time.) However, Lykinos makes a seemingly compelling point that Kynikos appears impoverished, maybe an eye sore, and maybe intentionally doing it to prove a point, be obscene, and get attention. We hear these rationalizations daily. He is disgraceful and living like an animal, when he probably doesn’t have to. But that’s in the eyes of Lykinos! He’s offensive to him because he is not striving [consuming] for more. Well, that’s a personal problem of Lykinos. Sounds like Kynikos is quite content, and actually acting virtuously within the cosmopolis. And that works for me as fellow Stoic. 😊
Mike, precisely, the "offensive" appearance of Kynikos is such only in the eyes of Lykinos, trained to admire consumerism.
I was at a work happy hour when a coworker was complaining about the lack of high end beer and it occurred to me that in many ways sophistication is the death of fun. I'd wager Lykinos would have complained about the beer as well
I'm sure he would have! 🍻
Nadia, perhaps we do have a natural instinct to gather resources, or one that pushes us toward luxury goods in order to confirm our status in the group. But very clearly some people can control such instincts, and not just the Cynics.
It's like xenophobia: it's natural, but many manage to control it and even overcome it.
Also, let's not forget that modern capitalist society is an aberration in the history of the world, so let us not take the current situation as either typical or natural.