Oh, but you wouldn’t think that, would you, if you watched American television? Every time I flip one on, there’s an advertisement pushing some product that is designed just for me. It always recalls a line from Seinfeld: George asks, rather sarcastically, if it’s so wrong, so selfish to just want some things for yourself. Jerry responds with, “I think that’s the definition of selfishness”.
Our country is obsessed with personalized products—phone plans specifically for your needs, customized homes, “get what you want, when you want it” stuff. We are, if we believe what corporate America suggests, the neediest, whiniest, most impatient bunch of brats on the planet. I’m so tired of being told that I’m incapable of delaying my impulses—or waiting for a download, for that matter. I’m tired of hearing that I should be willing to pay extra just to be “different”. Wanna be different? Stop buying all that mass-produced stuff you don’t need. Dress in a way that you really to, and you won’t feel like you must have a customized-dyed handbag to stand out. Live your life in a way that serves others, instead of you and your interests, and feel a satisfaction far deeper than any “lightning fast” internet speed can offer. And please know something else—whenever you get that great, “meaningful” individualized-yet-mass-produced item at a “deal”, it comes at a steep price for someone else. Those cheap products are only cheap to you; the people who make and/or sell them must give up a living wage many times, or forgo benefits such as healthcare and paid sick time. Living in a way that maximizes your needs at an unbelievably low price is, as Jerry would say, “…the definition of selfishness”.
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