There are a few lines in the book and movie that speak to me. It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything. Isn't that the truth? The classic stories of heroes throughout time all begin with a loss so great (family, home, trust) that one doesn't possibly think the hero can overcome. But when you have nothing to lose and everything to gain, you start to see things differently. Hell, you can do whatever you want. But only with the right mentality. And the ability to see past the fear.
My favorite line from the movie is The things you own end up owning you. I never wanted to forget that, so I branded it on my body. Frankly, I am not a tattoo kinda girl, but this was important to me. And I've had more than one conversation about it that ended with "I'm not a big fan of tattoos, but I really like yours." And that's how I feel about it. It means something.
So: A friend of mine had never seen Fight Club, and he actually owned the movie. It was in his home. This was while I was staying in Norway, which happens to be one of the wealthiest countries in the world. People there tend to be very into fashion. It costs $30 to take the bus. Cigarettes were $20 a pack. (Coincidence I just quit? Hardly.) I hadn't been able to put my finger on exactly why I felt uncomfortable at times there, but the movie did it for me: I'm uncomfortable with people spending money.
Now we could talk about why that is, but that's really neither here nor there. What I'm concerned with is my quest to achieve balance in all of this. Just because I have an opinion about owning things does not mean that no one else should. Hell, my roommate owns his house and I'm pretty stoked on that. And I would really like to buy a boat one day, and I convinced him that I should put it in his name.
So is it really bad to own things? Is it terrible to want nice things and to spend money on them? I don't know. As Tyler Durdin would say: Is this necessary, in the hunter-gatherer sense of the word?
Again, I'm thrown back to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
Where does all of this belong? Is this model appropriate? I'm looking for feedback here. I am open to modifying my ideas here. I don't know that it's realistic to all live hunter-gatherer lifestyles. But then again, if 2012 is in our future, perhaps my questions are unwarranted.
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2 comments:
This post reminds me of an article I read in the Wash. Post about consumers who were forced to cut back on their spending and were experiencing shopper's withdrawal as a consequence. http://tinyurl.com/yjace5r
Basically, they had been using shopping as a coping mechanism that the article calls "retail therapy." These people were accustomed to dropping thousands a day on designer handbags, scarves, etc. in places around DC. This story made me feel ill, especially when one of the shoppers said that getting to shop again was "like spring -- rebirth, reawakening." It's an addiction, and it's sick and sad.
So I guess before you make a purchase, you should always ask yourself why. Think, can I get this for free or make it myself at home? Will this genuinely enhance my life? And you have to be as honest with yourself as you can possibly be.
(Sorry for getting all ranty on your blog. I really needed to get that article out of my system.)
Dude I don't blame you for ranting. And feel free to do so whenever. As much as I like to stay positive, there are just some people out there that make it really tough.
Did you ever read my post about renting designer handbags? I mean, what is wrong with people? Letting material things define you is pretty sad, but I guess it's there life to live right?
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