My vision for a positive future is that we have a society that isn’t programmed for over-consumption and that it is no longer associated with happiness and self-fulfillment. An ideal future would be one where capitalism is not the dominating system that promises technological solutions that do nothing but increase efficiency without confronting how humans consume. The act of consumption should be de-emphasized.
I value the labor and materials used to produce are sourced ethically and not designed to be the maximization for profit. I also value self-fulfillment as being less related to materialism.
I think this vision that consists of these values would be achieved by rethinking and reconstructing our society's relationship with capitalism by limiting the amount of influence that corporations have on governments and people as a whole. There has been a widespread commitment to fostering overconsumption in our society and it needs to stop not only for the environment but for ourselves.
I personally try to do this in my personal life by starting movements or creating art that reflects these values so that I can portray this ideology to a wider spectrum of people. A lot of what we put into the cultural space (particularly from major corporations) are calls to buy more, spend more, and think that it makes a difference.
Great points! I like the idea of creating art that reflects these values, because you can both further the de-consumerism movement, and achieve some self-fulfillment in a non-materialistic manner.
Great points! I often feel morally conflicted whenever I buy a new product from a large company or corporation. It's so convenient. But there are ways we can avoid it! Take this article about avoiding Amazon, for example.