The Thailand expat forum for Travel, Lifestyle and Fun.

Milkman

While at Uni I started changing my perceptions, values, and viewpoints about mass consumption. Buying stuff. For many, not all nor even most people, "things" are not fixated upon. But many folks in the US think that "more is better" and "bigger is better." I don't believe in this, and think it's also provides a false sense of happines and well being. It's not beneficial, to acquire, acquire, and acquire.

Especially after living overseas, I now view having more things, as a burden. I came to South East Asia with one bag, and I'll leave with one bag.

Experiences, people, and good times, are far more important to me than "things."

How do you feel about marterialism, consumerism, and "things?"

How important are non-essential items to you?

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

_____________

Jet Gorgon

"The best is not always simple, but simple is always best."

sabang

I've come full circle on consumerism. For much of my adult life I was a conspicous consumer, a spendthrift even. When I think of the stuff I have given away, lost or just plain lost track of with my various moves it makes me cringe.

I've got way, way too much shit, even now. I want to move to a smaller place at some stage, so again this will be a logistical nightmare. Not like you can sell it for much in this country.

Given my time again, I would buy less- much, much less- but better.

__________________
East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,

Mr Earl

I got way too much crap too:
Scuba diving crap I haven't used in 3 years.
Motorcycle stuff, scooter stuff, camping stuff, Land Rover stuff, GPS stuff, photography stuff, computer stuff( 2 laptops and 4 ipods), furniture stuff, TV stuff, fans, aircons, cooking stuff, books, BBQ, 2 cell phones ect.......yepper I'm a stuffed American alright!

sabang

^ Hey, I'm not Merkin ya know! I guess we just like to copy ya.

Mr Earl

^you got stuffed cuz yankee gringo scum told ya to "get stuffed"

Jet Gorgon

After tennish years in Thailand, first where I had no gearbut my pack and paints, I loved it. No dust collectors, easy to keep tidy. Then you move and start to get stuff. Eek!
I'm back in Van for what, two years, and I still got my container full of crap in storage. Just can't be bothered, although I would like my martini glasses and my ironing board.

benbaaa

Interesting thread. I've been thinking about the consumerism, materialism, capitalism thing myself recently, and a student asked me last week to tell her the difference between a materialist and a capitalist.

Worryingly, both think that infinite expansion within a finite system is somehow a neat idea.

blackgang

Thats bullshit too Jetty, Martini glass's my ass, I have got just as drunk drinking Martinis out of a fruit jar, and even martinis that had no vermout in em at all and were just straight Gin,, just give that container away and live a long happy life.

But during the move from Phetch to CM and getting ready, I made a comment that when I came here I had 1 suitcase and not much in it except papers and records that I will need til i die, then from CM to Phetch it was a small truck of household shit, now 6 years later it was another truck with household shit, next time I move, it is back to the one suitcase with 3 changes of rags and my papers and records. maybe the hard drives from my puter.
I was happier when I only owned 1200 pounds of shit,, that was a fully packed Harley.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Political Correctness: A doctrine, fosteredby a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media,
which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Nawty

But how many really want to live in a mud hut and wear colourful shirts and head bandanas to live the true simple life.

Not me.

Idea is to reduce to what is required for your own personal tastes and educate your children.

I saw recently on a show that a western child by the time it is 3yo will have produced enough waste and pollution equivelant to the entire life of an adult in other poorer countries.

Milkman

I think this is the point of the OP. At least for me.

I want to own and have things that I need, for the most part.

And it's OK to have a few things that are wants.

We all can reduce waste, unnecesarry accumulation of things we rarely, if ever, use.

Norton

A little wisdom on "stuff" from one of my favs, George Carlin.

Texpat

Fully one third of the people on this planet have never used a telephone. Maybe we should all throw our telephones away as they're merely a manifestation of our quest for information and knowledge. Only to ultimately be used to further oppress the true, pure and genuine inhabitants of the planet that roam the jungles naked eating berries and leaves.

These comparisons are nonsense.

Some people are happily amused by swimming in a polluted stream in Niger.
Some people are willing to work hard for 10 years to buy a BMW in Connecticut.
Some people prefer to work for very little but are expected to do very little in Songkla.

One isn't better than the other. Another Americans are bad! thread by our resident self-hater. Trying to pigeon-hole a country as diverse as the US is rarely successful or accurate. Plenty of tree huggers and compost-pile purveyors who ride their bikes and live in communes.

Do you realize how much plastic, silicon and non-natural, pollution-generating material is in your computer?

floorpotato

Owning lots of stuff seems to interfere with my pursuit of materialism. My time in Thailand is fairly minimal in terms of personal property. I need my TV, CD/DVD player, digital camera and some basic furniture, but little else. And yet I've always immersed myself in the material world with the best food and partying I've experienced anywhere. Living in Thailand is a different kind of materialism, a place where one can enjoy the greatest material and sensual comforts while owning a lot fewer things than we're used to back in the West.

Jet Gorgon

Nope, not the same at all, BG. You can live in jungle surroundings, wear Bt20 flipflops and have a jungle hut, but it's class that counts. As I always said, a girl should never be without her Chanel lipstick and should always be well groomed, and have grace and good manners (occasionally excepting Issues comments). And the fekin martini glasses.

Spin

Gotta agree with that, although I am trying to cut back being a consumer since coming to live in Thailand. Materialism is a worldwide "problem" now, its not fair to call it an "American" problem.
One thing I do find troubling though is when watching US news channels like Bloomberg or CNN, when government or fed officials speak they often refer to the US people as "consumers" I find that a bit condescending. Like the people are just viewed as robots who should work, sleep and buy shit they dont really need.
I've never heard any UK official refer to the public in this way.

Milkman

Some points that I've witnessed below. Latent, but they exist. People look around at their peers, often people they don't know, eyeing what they "have," and then judging themselves in relation. Buying stuff....or, borrowing to "buy" stuff gives the impressions that one is "keep up with the Jones's. My generation where I am from at least, rejects this notion as a whole." In other parts of the US, I'm not so sure.

A part:

Link: Op-Ed Columnist - The Culture of Debt - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com