To be or to have?

There are too much said already about negative side of consumption. People are slaves of things and everything else. Culture long ago turned into a lifeless and alienation eats us no worse than a cancer. And, apparently, there are a lot of truth. Of course, it is not surprising that Hamlet’s phrase “to be or not to be” are becoming a sarcastic “to have or to be.” Existential riddle are left for those who have at least a minute of free time to think about it, and the rest are rushing to work and climb endless stairs to the inaccessible dream.

And sometimes themselves no longer know why we want to have more than neighbors and compare ourselves with those who we really do not like, even though we all know that not this is important in life.

Nowadays it is not news not to have time for yourself. Interesting articles we read hastily having breakfast, intriguing show we record for later review, the book gathering dust on the nightstand untouched for months, less and less we have pleasant meetings with friends…

Humans scatter their time little by little, keep being grieved that should pay more attention to each subject, but this does not happen. Ability to have beats presence itself. We give full efforts for having more and more, but have less and less time to enjoy the results. We surround ourselves with items and other material evidences of exclusivity, but are rarely able to find a moment to enjoy all this.

People increasingly start to look at other people as to objects for a specific purpose, rather than as to individuals. So,  through  the ongoing efforts only to have, instead of just being, we become to each other like these same things, which we like surround our environment. Although we all know that items are not salvation to fill the void.

But always there is another side. Because not for all of us items serve as people, not everyone uses without thinking, not for all people main engine of life – work, and not all feel existential anxiety. Others, even in such a crazy world as it is today, are able to live long and happily. Just like in fairy tales.

And to pour only accusations would be not right. Because in addition to all bad qualities the consumption also encourages. It promotes not only growth, but also a legal requirement that the goods or services would be of high quality. Consumption pollutes the planet, but after all, the voices of those who want to see a cleaner Earth, becomes louder and louder. And they are becoming more audible. People not stop to produce, but is looking for ways to make the whole production most environmentally friendly.

It is therefore strange that no one wants to mention the bright side. If not a consumption – no inventions and technology would advanced so far. Would not be development of economies, and a progress would hangs. Eventually after all, and the ships were built notfor the aid to investigate beautiful and mysterious land, but in order to become weathy by business marketing.

Even in consumer society there are people who take pleasure in each new day, living an exciting, fulfilling lives, posing new challenges for themselves and creating strong social bonds. It all depends on what you consider as important things. Things or people. Opting for the first always were, and always will be. However, this does not mean that all people are the same.