(November 29, 2013 at 7:43 pm)CapnAwesome Wrote: I evicted myself from the mini-van, so to speak. I really only have a few interests in life, rock climbing and sex, and van or no my girlfriend wasn't that into either of them.But where DO you live?
Quote: But even though my lifestyle might be an extreme representation of living with less (or if you go to most of the world, a not so extreme version) everybody can consume less. There is a whole society of well educated kids from good backgrounds who have embraced a minimalistic lifestyle that most people are unaware of.
Everybody can consume less, yes. But most people have areas where they aren't willing to give up consumer goods. For me, it's food, alcohol, tickets, books. I don't want to do without them, and in buying these things, I support performers, writers, waiters, chefs, and local vineyards.
Quote:I don't understand how people can bitch about capitalism and consumerism (two separate things) and then buy so whole hardily into the system that they claim to oppose.It is one thing to go crazy on Black Friday and kill other people to buy cheap Cabbage Patch Dolls. It's another to give up all consumer goods altogether. You seem to be presenting this as a black and white issue. It's not. I can go to a great restaurant and then to the opera (dressed to kill and wearing jewelry) and still be sad about the amount of consumerism in my country.
