Modern times have given way to a post-modern view, in much the same way that interpersonal and even intrapersonal relationships have made way for relationships of an extropersonal nature. Extro, in this context comes from the Latin extrus , meaning outward. An extropersonal relationship is one that is outwardly personal, a relatedness with the surface or exterior, and focused on the physical self rather than also on the mind or spirit.
Extropersonal relationships focus on things, or on people as things.
My thesis is that the extropersonal relationship is a new type of relationship that results from, or is a symptom of, the pervasiveness of consumerism in our society. I believe that consumerism is the water in which we all swim. However, our general level of awareness about how and by whom our fish tank is filled and tended, is little more than that of the guppy in my childhood tank. Furthermore, those that fill and tend our tank, know far more about us than I did about my guppy. Consumer psychology, the advertising industry, and the public relations business add to this knowledge daily.