Why we are all about to be consumed by consumerism and its hedonistic implications
By: Timi Celcer
Tags: Consumerism, Hook Up Culture, Hedonism, Materialism

Why we are all about to be consumed by consumerism and its hedonistic implications timi celcer Sep 4, 2020·4 min read

If I agree with anything with the Marxists is that capitalism does have a tendency to create a sort of superstructure that reinforces it, perpetually sophisticating an ethos that best suits its needs. While capitalism in an of itself does not necessarily imply the creation of an ethos that we are now left to deal with, it is one of the main blamers for it. That is because many contemporary versions of capitalism were met with too soft of opposition or attempts at regulation in the cultural sphere. What that spawned was an array of destructive inclinations and modi operandi, including tendencies towards hedonism, materialism, radical individualism, and superficiality, all flowing from the stream of consumerism.

The underlying aim of capitalism is the maximization of profit. But in each society that basic force on top of which the capitalistic system sits, is somehow regulated as to not push in unwanted directions. While we have blocked some of capitalism’s potential destructive elements, especially in terms of wage slavery, the environment (here in Europe), etc., we have let it wreak havoc in terms of its cultural influence. We have let it transform our minds.

In the process of the capitalistic competition between different entities inside the system, a certain desire of that system becomes apparent. In order to maximize its profits, it must create a “one-dimensional man”, to borrow the phrase from Herbert Marcuse (although I most definitely do not share all that Marcuse extrapolates from that conception). That man (or woman), must be the type of man most inclined to consume, as much as possible, the many fruits the system wants to sell him, hence creating a mindset we call consumerism. That mindset is created most subtly through many forms of “propaganda”, chiefly among them, advertisement.

Materialism usually follows as material objects are usually the ones being sold. As consuming enters the center stage in a person’s life, material wealth and material objects become a source of identification and pride, much more than otherwise. But a far more pernicious attitude gradually gets established in the form of hedonism.

The easiest way to sell things is by appealing to one’s centers for pleasure. If you can get a person addicted to an easy fix, by stimulating his dopamine receptors, for example, he will forget that he once desired the deeper elements of life (which are for the most part unsellable). You do that by selling the hedonistic lifestyle as the ideal one. The idolization of people like Dan Bilzerian and the Wolf of Wall Street are all manifestations of the effects of that effort.

The hedonistic culture that consumerism created to better reinforce itself is evident all around us. It is present in the superficiality of Instagram and modern dating to the ever-growing emphasis on the hookup culture and partying as the basic part of one’s life’s experience. It is also present in the commodification of other human beings, treating them more as means to pleasing a particular conception of pleasure, rather than treating them as ends in themselves. That is evident in the general approach to life and relationships, which are only as good as the pleasure they provide, or the “positive emotions ratio” they provide in comparison to other possible relationships available, be that friendships, romances, or family.

The problems with hedonism are plentiful. Not only is it disintegrating a particular society, but it is also detrimental to one’s mental health and happiness. Positive psychology, for example, discovered that a hedonistic lifestyle does not significantly increase happiness in the long run, because pleasure habituates rapidly. The only type of life worth leading is what some positive psychologists call “the meaningful life”. In this life, you have to sometimes sacrifice pleasure for the greater good. In other words, stick with someone even if it means pain or be loyal to a cause even to your personal detriment. It means having a meaning that transcends pleasure.

Just to put a quick footnote. I am in no way saying that satisfying your pleasure centers is a priori wrong, it is only wrong when it is being put on the highest pedestal. Partying or hooking up, for example, are not wrong per se, but they are wrong when they are put above one’s commitment to a certain meaning, be that family or something else.

Consumerism is an unfortunate product of a great device called capitalism. Capitalism is a system that gave us this unprecedented luxury and prosperity, but it is a system built upon a certain logic that needs close regulation. Consumerism and all its further forms such as materialism and hedonism must be met with resistance. They are destructive to any society and all its members and we must be constantly on our feet to proclaim the primacy of other values such as family, commitment, community, and a religious like dedication to those when put in conflict with the desires of our hedonic hotspots. Under those principles, we will be happier and firmer as a society. That entails recognizing where the problems lie and devising means of countering it. We must counter consumerism and hedonism, or they might become an element in our potential demise.