Eric:
>People don't need enormous cars; they need respect. They don't need a
>closetful of clothes; they need to feel attractive and they need excitement
>and variety and beauty. People don't need electronic entertainment; they
>need something worthwhile to do with their lives. And so forth. People
>need identity, community, challenge, acknowledgement, love, joy. To try to
>fill these needs with material things is to set up an unquenchable appetite
>for false solutions to real and never-satisfied problems.
That is a good description of the world today. Advertizing
works by convincing people they can satisfy basic needs and
wants with purchases. I'm constantly surprised to see people
who understand how all this works still become slaves to the
promises. Even my own actions are influenced at times and i
join the cycle of advertized promise followed by eventual
dissatisfaction followed by another advertized promise.
The same logic now fits politics. Promise whatever the
political analysts say is needed and promote the candidate
with slogans and repetitive reminders. Next, campaign do the
same thing with a new set of candidates.
The solution seems to be a cultural shift from letting others
give (tell) us what we need (having) towards more self
directed behavior (being). These is a small paradox here.
If we tell others that they need to look inward and become
more self directed, then are we not trying to advertise
and give them something <grin>.
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Jeff Owens ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Zone 7
Underground house, solar energy, reduced consumption, no TV
