Consumerism

[Anonybrit]

I recently spent some time in the third world where I found the extreme poverty eye-opening. Since returning though, I've felt rather empty in my life.

 

Life back in the west feels ultimately unrewarding to me, and yet I don't actually have anyone to see or be with abroad.

 

Over the last few days I've found I've been spending an increasing amounts of cash on gadgets and consumer items - a TV, DVDs, cinema tickets - it amounts to a lot of money.

 

I'm genuinly enjoying these things, but I realise they are ultimately superficial and that this hole I feel will never truly be filled by any of this.

 

I don't know what I'm asking really... I was just wondering if anyone has any advice or has experienced anything similar?

[robowarrior]

The only thing in the universe that can fill the empty gap in your soul is love, this because the meaning of life is to love and help others. If you go back to the third world where you help out the poor you will lead a forfilling life.

[Batya33]

I don't see anything wrong with a balance. My Ipod helps me get motivated to go to the gym because I can listen to my music and I love the clarity and acoustics. E-mail lets me keep in touch with people. Making a salary allows me to give to charity, and to achieve balance I do volunteer work also. Do you do volunteer work? That can be very fulfilling.

[Altruist]

Yes, as long as you make someone's day once in a while and volunteer to help others you will find life fulfilling. Nothing wrong with buying yourself the things that you enjoy. After all they are the fruits of your labour.

Personally I feel at peace with myself if I have helped someone. It can be something as simple as giving appreciated advice, assisting financially or just comforting. I get more out of it than all the entertainment gadgets in the world could ever give me.

[Batya33]

Or allowing someone access to your music library for their Ipod .. . . . talk about generous and fulfilling!

[itsallgrand]

I'm not a fan of stuff. What you might try is to just stop buying stuff you don't need, to begin with.

 

It just makes things less complicated. Gives you space and time to see where this emptiness is coming from in you, and what is important to you.

 

Maybe you will find that your life is lacking in human connection. Or in time spent doing something else that is important to you.

 

One sure fire way to figure it out is to spend some time looking at your own self.

 

Going to others countries that have 'less' is nice, but if you are essentially running away from your own problems, there is little purpose to that. Y'know?

Same with helping others - if there is no meaning there for you, don't bother.

Figure out what DOES matter to you.

 

Stuff can be a nice treat or it can be a burden. If you are crossing that line it is time to Simplify, IMO. You can do this anywhere.

[Altruist]

OP, you could also try inviting some vagrants over for dinner and see if you can derive any fulfillment from that.

[rocio]

poor people in third world countries may come accross as being happy and content. but they are just making the best of a bad situation. if there is a flood and they can't get to work all week, they can't feed their families. very few of them have any savings whatsoever. it's almost unheard of for rural poor people. if their kid gets sick, they either can't pay for treatment, or go so far in debt that they can't get out. they don't use car seats and other safety equipment to protect their children. Roads are incredibly dangerous in most rural parts of the third world. there is no government protection or insurance against natural disasters.

 

you, on the other hand, can save money so that if something goes wrong you can still feed your family. you can save for retirement, pay for medical bills, and educate your children. those things may seem unimportant but trust me, any one of those poor third world people would give almost anything to have the opportunities you have.

 

Take advantage of your experiences and new enlightenment to get your priorities straight. Electronic toys and poor money management won't do you any good. But you don't have to move to the third world in order to straighten out your life and work toward more meaningful, less superficial goals.

[Anonybrit]

To be honest, I've never found life in the west particularly rewarding.

 

What's changed is that upon working in the third world, I didn't find much meaning to my life there either.

 

The result is I'm relying on these cheap thrills to tide me over until I figure out how to fill that hole.

 

 

 

 

Actually, I really do know how to fill that hole, but finding her is a whole different kettle of fish.