Consumerism: we participate in it but do we think about it?

In 2005, the late American writer David Foster Wallace gave the commencement speech at Kenyon college.

He began with the following parable. Two young fish are swimming along and they encounter an older fish swimming in the opposite direction, who nods at them and says “Good morning. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one looks at the other and says, “What the heck is water?”

Consumerism is like the water in the above parable.

We constantly participate in it but rarely take the time to think critically about it and wonder what kind of person consumer culture is forming us into.

It is just something we do.

Consumerism, however, forms our character—often in ways we are not aware of and other times that are noticeable.

The website “Young Catholics” refers to consumerism as “the ideology that encourages individuals to continuously purchase and consume goods and services, often beyond their basic needs.

It promotes the idea that material possessions and instant gratification are the key ingredients to a satisfying and meaningful life.”

Pope John Paul II visited the United States in 1979.

He delivered a homily at Yankee Stadium, in which he made the following comment about consumerism: “We must find a simple way of living. For it is not right that the standard of living of the rich countries would seek to maintain itself by draining off a great part of the reserves of energy and raw materials that are meant to serve the whole of humanity.”

For readiness to create a greater and more equitable solidarity between people is the first condition of peace.”

The Pope was referring to the Catholic social teaching referred to as the universal destination of goods.

This notion means that all the goods and resources of the earth are intended for all humans to use.

They must be equitably distributed so that excesses in either wealth or poverty are minimized.

In his book “Following Christ in a Consumer Society,” Rev. John Kavanaugh contends that under consumerism a “commodity form” of life is established.

He defines this commodity form as a “system of reality (a philosophy of what is most real and valuable) and a religion (a belief in what saves us and gives us ultimate meaning).”

As a complete worldview, it “affects the way we think and feel, the way we love and pray, the way we evaluate our enemies, the way we relate to our spouses and children.”

The late British sociologist Zygmunt Bauman stated that “[b]eing a consumer means falling in love with choice [and] choice is the consumer society’s ‘meta-value.’”

Having choices is not problematic in itself; it is, though, when it becomes an end in itself.

Consumption must tether itself to higher goods: justice, solidarity, peace, responsible stewardship, beauty, the common good and communion with others.

Higher goods like these should shape our consumer choices.

What role does consumption play in your life?

Is it connected to higher goods?

Do you find yourself desiring a life that is outwardly simple but inwardly rich?