Thoughtless Purchases Make Us Hypocrites
How many people do you know often thoughtlessly spend their money on items without giving any thought to what that purchase represents?
Many people shop for price alone or they shop for the things that are most popular at the time regardless of price.
Very few think about it in any way other than how their lives will be different or better short term once the items are theirs to keep, but don’t consider the impact of the decision they are making long term.
Let’s put some examples to this concept:
# 1 : Food
When you go to the store and purchase organic peppers, analytically speaking, that purchase means more than just you prefer the taste, or it was a better price. It can also mean that you support organic farming and eating healthier produce.
You could have chosen to buy French fries to go with dinner, but you chose the organic peppers instead.
# 2 : Non-Essential Habits (i.e. Tobacco Products)
You might mindlessly buy cigarettes because you can’t kick a bad habit, but buying the pack also means you support big businesses that promote lung cancer. Tobacco companies make a profit off of people coughing, having shortness of breath, high medical bills, increased pollution to our planet, and early death.
Have you ever sadly gone to visit your suffering grandmother in the hospital for emphysema due to smoking and on the ride there light up a smoke of your own?
Your visit to the hospital is sponsored by your decision to buy cigarettes.
# 3 : Books vs. Video Games
Do you support reading, education, imagination, and intelligence? Or do you support no creativity, nonessential “fun”, unrealistic portrayals of the real world, and violence?
Many parents wish for their kids to do well in school, grow up to be leaders, and lead active lives, yet they allow their kids to come home after school and play video games and watch movies when they could send them outside or encourage them to read a book about something of importance (ex: George Washington).
Take away:
Your decisions and your purchases are really a manifestation of what you think is important in life.
Next time you make a purchase or make a choice consider these questions:
- Are you buying it just because it is cheaper or easier to have?
- Is it appealing simply because other people have one just like it (I NEED an iPad, too!)?
- Are your purchases and decisions counterintuitive to what you tell people you think is important?
When was the last time you thought about your habitual consumption and what it’s saying about you?
