We are in this together

I talk a lot about capitalism and all its numerous implications, how we live in this consumer society where the acquisition of material goods stands as the number one goal. 

And then you may call me a hypocrite really, because with saying all of this I reinforce this same capitalistic system day by day. 

It is also me who spent 10 bucks at Starbucks today and the reason for that is simply because it is convenient. But if I were to go out of my way just so I can get a coffee from this local, independent coffee shop, also meaning I have to spend my time walking there and back - the only person who would be losing here is me. I would not be proving anything to anyone. 

In fact being ‘Anti’ something is just an alternative to being ‘for’ something. It is all the same thing because it is all about communicating your identity. It is all about this individualism that we are all so willingly embracing. It is us being individuals, all so unique and different, however with the focus on the other because it is ‘me communicating my identity to the world’. But what are we trying here to prove? That we are who we are? Or is it because we all feel the need to be somebody? 

The problem is not with the world, or society, or even capitalism, the problem is within us and to change anything we really gotta start with ourselves. 

The problem is not that the world is this way or that way, the problem is that we are seeking for the problem in the world. And  this world consists of all what consumer market has to offer, and trust me, it will always happily accommodate all the solutions you might be looking for. 

We can see that happening with sustainability, animal cruelty and many other things that suppose to be fighting against this same system but in fact only giving it more power. It is when all these things become a part of popular culture, when what used to be known as ‘faux leather’ is now called ‘vegan leather’ and actually priced twice higher. It is when I want to help starving children in Africa, I go and spend $60 on Toms shoes, because it is not just me doing a good thing but it is also me telling the whole world about this good thing that I am doing. 

It is all about me, myself and I. 

Although it is not really about me, it is about what others see me as. Because if it was about me, then my views would have nothing to do with my decision to go to Starbucks or not, I wouldn’t think twice about what brand of water to buy, and surely I couldn’t care less to eat fish after being vegan for 2 years.  If it is about me, I do what is best for myself regardlessly. 

Yes I can talk about the importance of material goods and how it gives us this shallow happiness so we become less human, but the thing is if I were never to buy anything branded again, I am just creating a bigger gap between me and ‘the other’. It is me not just being against consumerism but it also me against all these people who would spend their entire salary on iPhone 7. 

We give power to things investing our emotions and feelings in them, I am empowering consumerism by being against it as much as any other person embracing it. It is not really about sacrificing what is given to us, it is not about changing the world back in time and thinking that we can get rid off one system and just magically live the way we used to. The history that comes in between, the culture that has evolved through time won’t let that happen. 

I believe that it is not about denying what is available to us whether that is food, consumer goods or even our corporate job, but using those things as resources to communicate our ideas, share our views with others. Without having the fear to speak up because you might be not understood, just because nobody else seems to think the same or do the same. It is all about going back to the basics - constructing our views and ideas based on our inner feelings and communicating them through the simplest and most natural way of human interaction - words. And I myself always underestimate the power of words, simply because I am all so tolerant and don’t want to impose my views on anybody else. But I guess it is not about imposing your views but really about sharing the knowledge wth others. 

Instead of walking in to the shop and buying a more expensive bottle of water because they use less plastic, and also 10p of the price you pay goes to the kids in Africa, maybe it is good to question why do we pay for the water in the first place? How comes that in some countries like Canada they have water fountains everywhere and people have their own refillable bottles of water? 

Only by questioning things and spreading ideas we can bring real changes. Because it is really not about making a statement - I am 'this' or I am 'that'. It is about breaking through this separation with one another.