Modern Consumerism - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages When one need is fulfilled, there is always going to be another need that pops up requiring attention. That is just the way humans are made. Not necessarily just physical needs need to be met—but rather, the accoutrement of things which humans seem to accumulate over the years one has spent living is a perfect example of this, especially in more developed countries. Consumption is so puzzling to Campbell especially because this insatiability for things is considered an ethnocentric phenomenon, in his view.2 For example, it is considered anathema in some cultures to want things outside of what one already has—not to mention blasphemous to try to attain things for the self. Any kind of achievements that are related to one “getting ahead” in life is not the norm in small communities. Rather, it is the importance of community that encapsulates one’s decisions—not the self-promotion and self-egotistical self-centeredness that is so evident in many Western cultures.
This self-centeredness is puzzling not only because one knows one can “never have enough,” but this incessant search in the quest for one’s self-fulfillment—demonstrated in Western culture—is tantamount to blasphemy. In a small town somewhere off the beaten path, this kind of behavior would never be tolerated. This is because, in essence, in the cultures of many nations that are less-developed or not developed at all, community is a big part of who people are. These humble people who grew up with small beginnings are not willing to sell out their communities for fame. It is just not in their natures. What is in human nature, however—which apparently shows up more in Western cultures than not—is this idea of instant gratification and the search for self-actualization that is not found in many places that are rural where the people have less education and ...Download file to see next pagesRead More