Oddbean

The Consumerist Lie: As humans existing in a consumerist society, we are bombarded 24/7 with messages designed to make us feel like we are somehow incomplete until we purchase an endless litany of marketed products. The sad part is we “buy it” in both meanings of the phrase. Imagine finally buying your dream car. Imagine yourself happy, not a care in the world, driving along a curving street alongside the ocean at sunset, the warm breeze blowing through your hair. This is the future you dream of, the “where” that you work so tirelessly to reach. But “who” will you be in that idealized future? You tell yourself that you’ll magically become your ideal self, that you’ll land a job you love, lose weight, eat better, and have a better relationship with your partner and kids. Best of all, you just know that the dream car is exactly what it will take to finally release you from all the stress you feel in your daily life. You know this with certainty because you’ve never seen an unhappy person in a single car ad. That checks out, right? Ads don’t lie. The car “must” make you happier. I hate to shatter that reality, but no. Despite everything the marketers would coax you to believe through their unrelenting multi-billion dollar assaults on your eyeballs, that dream just isn’t a reality. More likely, you’ll buy that car and keep working the same job you hate to pay for its upkeep. You’ll keep eating junk food. You’ll continue to argue with your partner, and the stress… It won’t go away. You’ll still struggle to juggle your rent or mortgage payment with increasing food and energy prices. You’ll still fight to get a raise each year at work, while inflation marches on unchallenged. You’ll still have your savings devalued every time those in government decides the economy needs more money in it… The Consumerist Lie tells you will ascend Maslow’s Pyramid on a ramp made of stuff; that once you have all the material things you’ve ever wanted, you’ll find yourself at Maslow’s Apex, find fulfillment, and be able to finally realize the full extent of your talent and potential. You want to believe this lie… It feels right. It aligns with every advertisement you’ve ever seen and aligns with what you see from your favorite celebrities and media influencers. But it’s not real… I think deep down, you already know that… “[We] are persuaded to spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need to create impressions that won’t last on people we don’t care about.” -Tim Jackson This lie pervades every aspect of our society. But there is a way out…. “Bitcoin is not a trade. It is the exit!” -Olawale Daniel The above is an excerpt from my article "Maslow's Apex: Bitcoin's Liberation of the Human Spirit". If you enjoyed it, you can read the full article here: https://lookingglasseducation.com/maslows-apex-bitcoins-liberation-of-the-human-spirit/ https://image.nostr.build/60ba6980be2cb4e15aa857d0771df1c07b99b72f694d0040076c032a9768bf95.jpg nostr:nevent1qqsg7t7l4vjsdja2kj2unrql4qp30peqymks5ckupmq3s9y9l037gjgpr4mhxue69uhkummnw3ezucnfw33k76twv4ezuum0vd5kzmp0qgsxcm37qhsun542urkjgv25ft4yz9m3mkwczqt48xhslkqckguf72qrqsqqqqqpdvhphx