Consumerism, a hot topic that has always been controversial. Some people think that it is a pseudo-concept, an anti-market mentality of intellectuals. Because in the market economy, the public worships entrepreneurs and traffic stars, rather than knowledgeable intellectuals. It is not they who have the highest income, the most status, and the ones who enjoy flowers and applause.
Why, then, do people worship money instead of knowledge?There could be two reasons behind this. One is the dark view of human nature. In many religious cultures, man is a naturally corrupt sinner, undeserving of happiness, and should wait in endless pain and despair for salvation from some god (or a brilliant theory created by intellectuals). The second is the phenomenon of "atavism". From an evolutionary point of view, we are able to understand the hostility of some people to "consumerism". The first priority of human beings (as animals) is reproduction, not joy, happiness, etc. Primitive people who like to spend their wealth can easily lead to extinction.
Of course, there are two other reasons behind the popularity of the critique of "consumerism". One is the dark view of human nature. In many religious cultures, man is a naturally corrupt sinner, undeserving of happiness, and should wait in endless pain and despair for salvation from some god (or a brilliant theory created by intellectuals). Martin Seligman, a former president of the American Psychological Association, revealed: "Many people think that happiness is not real, and many more people think that human motivation for positivity does not exist." I call this view of human nature, which is common in many cultures, the dogma of 'all the roots rot'. The second is the phenomenon of "atavism". From an evolutionary point of view, we are able to understand the hostility of some people to "consumerism". The first priority of human beings (as animals) is reproduction, not joy, happiness, etc. Primitive people who like to spend their wealth can easily lead to extinction.