Saturday, August 16, 2014

The Essential

My thesis dissertation -- the end result of a topsy turvy two years of my design school experiment, beset by uncertainty, joy, exhausting anxiety, and ultimately a stretching of the mind and spirit far beyond what I expected -- is coming to fruition. 

I have chosen to study the psychology of consumerism (a possible clue that the last two years should have been spent studying psychology rather than design, but c'est la vie). This is not a new subject, and has been studied rapaciously by marketers and advertisers for decades, to the specific and lucrative benefit of large corporations.

Unfortunately, this urge to consume, latent in our genes but awakened and nourished by corporate advertising, has grown to monstrous proportions. Evolution has designed us for scarcity and we do surprisingly poorly in times of excess. We eat and laze ourselves into disease and extra pounds. Through affluence comes independence and we distance ourselves from the nurturing comfort of communities and thoughtlessly consume in a manner that is destroying our very own habitat while doing tremendous damage to our mental health.

One culprit is a culture of work that leaves us exhausted and craving convenience and a Netflix binge on the couch (and here I point a finger right back at myself -- guilty as charged). The other is a profusion of choice, leading to what many psychologists call "decision fatigue." Left to our own devices, we often default to the choices others have made for us, the ones that are easy, socially acceptable, and give us instant gratification. 

I have been searching for a solution to these problems for the last 18 months. I have read the works of psychologists, the wisdom of the elders, and everyday Joes (and Josephines) who experimented with different ways of life. I have even experimented a little myself. 

I have come to a few conclusions, though the subject matter is so complex and immense that I'm sure it's just a small piece of the puzzle. The good news is that we can begin to heal ourselves and our planet at the same time. Work less. Play more. Consume (mostly) only the essentials for long-lasting happiness. Spend time outdoors, the kind with trees and rocks and dirt. Get exercise. Love your neighbours. Appreciate sunsets. Practice gratitude. The answers are simple.

The hard part is breaking out of the routine, refusing to accept the default status quo, and choosing the essential. 

The Little Prince said it best: "Voici mon secret. Il est tres simple: on ne voit pas bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."

"Here is my secret. It is very simple. What is essential cannot be seen with your eyes, only with your heart."