Buying stuff is never enough
(Paid audio post) So why buy nice things at all?
This is a paid audio post. It is not a podcast episode. It is an unscripted, unedited, off-the-cuff recording where I speak into a microphone and then post it for people to listen. Again, it is not a podcast.
Recently, I received the following question from a reader. I’m not going to lie, it kind of stumped me at first.
When is the practice of curating a vision for aesthetic self-realization productive, and when is it just a treadmill of things to buy?
Ok. Everyone wants you to buy stuff. However, I firmly believe that you will never find yourself through a series rational choices and consumptive experiences. And I don’t know if there is such a thing as “aesthetic self-realization.” But I also really like nice things, and sometimes, I buy them. So, where is the line? How should we approach consumption in our deeply consumerist culture? What does it mean for something to be worth your hard-earned cash? How do we avoid looking like a Lower East Side starter pack meme come to life?
In other words: how does a girl justify shelling out for that Miu Miu skirt and not look like a poser wearing it?
You can listen below. If you scroll past the audio, I’ve included a section called “footnotes and references,” which are meant to accompany the audio so you know what I’m talking about.