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Well-known member
I was watching a video today which made me think how harmful and damaging society is to our mental health. In our society poor self-esteem and mental health issues are much much more prevalent than in less economically developed societies. Anorexia is often referred to as a disease of the Western World because it is almost unheard of in other poorer countries. So what is causing these mental illnesses?
Well a bi-product of capitalism is consumerism. Basically because the exchange of wealth is controlled by private individuals in a capitalist society people are very greedy. They want to earn as much money as possible by selling their product to as many people as possible. They can only do this through promoting Consumerism i.e. the belief that personal happiness is equated to the possession and consumption of products.
The way that they do this is by making us unhappy if we don't buy the products. For example;
Advertisements for products show attractive successful people. This causes us to feel inferior. We try to fill our inferiority by buying the product in the advertisement.
These advertisements target the mass public. Because consumerism has been in effect for at least a few decades the beliefs that they have tried to instill in the consumer have become mainstream and have spread into the media. Now film stars are all beautiful. There are no longer ugly actors. People who aren't good looking are ridiculed in magazines. People who wear the wrong clothes are made fun of.
The companies who distribute the products want us to feel this way because this is what makes them money.
Cosmetics, plastic surgery, penis enlargement, diet pills, gym membership, fashion brands, perfumes and aftershaves, expensive cars.
Huge industries which are fueled by our insecurities. Yet we don't need any of these things to be happy. Guys don't need to be good looking or rich to get attractive women and women don't need expensive perfumes or the latest clothes to get confident, popular men. So these things in my opinion lie at the root of most of our mental problems. And if we keep believing in the bullshit society keeps feeding us then we will hate ourselves and our lives and we will forever be depressed and unhappy. We must stop being brainwashed by society which keeps dictating what we should be and how we should look.
Well a bi-product of capitalism is consumerism. Basically because the exchange of wealth is controlled by private individuals in a capitalist society people are very greedy. They want to earn as much money as possible by selling their product to as many people as possible. They can only do this through promoting Consumerism i.e. the belief that personal happiness is equated to the possession and consumption of products.
The way that they do this is by making us unhappy if we don't buy the products. For example;
Advertisements for products show attractive successful people. This causes us to feel inferior. We try to fill our inferiority by buying the product in the advertisement.
These advertisements target the mass public. Because consumerism has been in effect for at least a few decades the beliefs that they have tried to instill in the consumer have become mainstream and have spread into the media. Now film stars are all beautiful. There are no longer ugly actors. People who aren't good looking are ridiculed in magazines. People who wear the wrong clothes are made fun of.
The companies who distribute the products want us to feel this way because this is what makes them money.
Cosmetics, plastic surgery, penis enlargement, diet pills, gym membership, fashion brands, perfumes and aftershaves, expensive cars.
Huge industries which are fueled by our insecurities. Yet we don't need any of these things to be happy. Guys don't need to be good looking or rich to get attractive women and women don't need expensive perfumes or the latest clothes to get confident, popular men. So these things in my opinion lie at the root of most of our mental problems. And if we keep believing in the bullshit society keeps feeding us then we will hate ourselves and our lives and we will forever be depressed and unhappy. We must stop being brainwashed by society which keeps dictating what we should be and how we should look.