Hypocritical me & the stuff issue
November 7, 2008 by Jennifer
- Each year I advocate Buy Nothing Day.
- Each year I run a green gift guide here, and if you visit my other blogs, you’ll see that I run gift guides there as well.
Could I be more hypocritical?
Each year at this time I start feeling like I should answer the question above. Last year I posted, If you’re so against having stuff, then why show all these products on this blog? That post basically covered why I’m not a hypocrite. But, it’s always good to recap during the holiday season.
My take on stuff:
Personally, I don’t love having too much more stuff around than I need. It’s a consumer and clutter issue for me.
I do own items that are unnecessary; books, incense, candles, pictures in frames, more than one pair of shoes, but I do try to keep unnecessary item numbers low. For instance, I don’t think you need three kitchen appliances that do the same thing. For me, it’s about items that make you feel at home – i.e art supplies or books, vs. total wants like four TV sets or three bathrooms in a family of two. That’s insane. But overall I’m not against things that make your home feel like home.
Just because I show a product on this blog, does not mean I think you need it. I consider that you might need something at some point, and that then, the post might come in handy. Eventually, you will need a new blanket, coffee cup, or car. Do I hope that when you need a new dishes, baby clothes, a gift, or something, that you’ll choose an environmentally responsible product over a not responsible product. Um, yeah. How do people hear about these products – well, from me here at Tree Hugging Family, from other bloggers, news ads, etc.
Do I hope that you purchase everything I show here? Obviously NO. I know that no one needs all the stuff I show. Why do I show things that are decoration? Well, when it comes right down to it, I do believe that people can have the home they want, decorated and all. I don’t believe in collecting a thousand little knick knacks and other useless items, but some sense of personal style is what makes the world go round. Some records can make your life a little happier, and the right piece of art can brighten everyone’s day. It’s ok, especially when you consciously make smart decisions surrounding most areas of your life.
There you go – this is why I show items you could buy on this, and other blogs. Have stuff all you want. Just make sure that you honestly own stuff for a reason, don’t let your stuff own you.
November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…
[image via Buy Nothing Day]
Buy Nothing Day is a great concept, and I keep it in mind more than one day a year, as a way to remember to ask myself, before any purchase: do I really need this, or is this just another gadget or luxury item I could live without?
But if the spirit of Buy Nothing Day is to learn to do more with less, then is it hypocritical to advocate the day and still make a living selling things? And is it hypocritical to go shopping on Buy Nothing Day (for bread, milk and eggs, which is what I bought last year on BND), if you live all the time with the spirit of that day in your choices?
And what if you were to spend Buy Nothing Day shopping for sweaters (so you could turn down the heat in winter), window fans (so you could use less AC in summer), or CFLs or LED house lights (so you could cut the amount of electricity you use to light your home?
It’s useful to question one’s own actions and wonder if hypocrisy is involved. I think as long as you live the spirit of Buy Nothing Day, you shouldn’t imagine yourself a hypocrite for publicizing that special day, all the while making a living (or part of one?) selling worthwhile products to people who actually need them!
Good post! This is the topic that encourages me most on THF. Last year I heard a Lent slogan from a church in the UK: “Buy less. Live more.” They even had little cards to replace a credit card in your wallet. I would love one of those.
@Robin, agreed. I’ve talked about this with others here before. If you live each day with a buy nothing mindset, or at least buy not too much of anything non-useful mindset, it’s a whole different story. I think that BND is a good jumping off point for people who have NEVER considered how their consumer actions affect the world at large. I’m totally not even against stuff. I’m just for having what you need plus a little extra, vs. having it all or having stuff to beat the Jones’s.
@Katherine – When I first got into green years ago, I did carry a little card around with me; I just made one. It said something like; do you really need it, do you already have one, is there something you own that does the same, and how many life hours is this item worth? It really helps you to think.