can't we appreciate things that we don't pay for?
March 13th 2008 07:28
We are, there is no doubt about it, in a consumer society. Everything is seen as a product that can be consumed, almost all our joys today are packaged and ready for us: our sports, food, learning a new language, playing cards.... name it, it is there waiting for you. There is a club, a bar , a casino, an association that provides it. Downside, well.... you have to pay for it. Some are more affordable then others. We are so used to consume everything that maybe we are getting to forget that we can appreciate and do a lot of things without paying for it.
Numerous time I heard people saying: "I am not doing anything this weekend because I am broke". That results by people staying at home bored or not in front of their TV.
Well If you are broke you can still eat out: picnic it makes you enjoy nature, go out and probably have more fun then at home or in a restaurant.
You can still go dancing: push your furnitures and invite friends, if you chose your music well and if you ask your friends to bring their friends you will have fun, get to choose the music and meet new people.
you can still do sport: you just need a ball and some friends. If you are not fussy it is easy to find a park to play. You can go running outside instead of on a machine.....
No money to go to the movies rent a DVD with your friends and organize a DVD night with some home made popcorns.
Go walking in the streets of your city, I bet that you will discover new places, take your camera with you and you will make it a fun afternoon hunting for nice pictures.
No money for an art class, find a model and try with your friends of family to see what you can paint and see what the others do.
Play board games that you can enhance by giving the losers penalties and picking them carefully!
There many things that you can do if you think about it and they are better than hanging out in a mall or in front of the TV.
The problem is I noticed that some people seem more reluctant with these things, than with things that you pay. That worries me a bit as while as intriguing me.
I have experienced that in my personal life, friends who want to meet that would not go for a picnic but a restaurant is OK; would not play with you outside but would go to a gym; worse people who would not walk 10 meters but pay to do sport in a gym.
Is there a psychological factor that makes us believe or think that it is more fun to pay for something? A lot of people would not play board game but will go to the pub for trivia night....
We just have to remember that hobbies are something that should not be seen only as a consumption product specifically because sometime consumption seems to consume us and to take the fun part of things and also because not everybody can afford to pay for everything.
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Comment by Nathan 1
Film Banana
I've often fantasised about just giving up the domesticated life and going feral, just being a nomad and taking things as they come. Unfortunately it takes a certain type of character to be able to live free like that and most of us don't have what it takes and so we fill our lives with the things you mentioned. However I think that with the ubiquitous availability of films and other media through things like bittorrent, we can appreciate art without having to pay for it. Having an internet connection isn't as soul destroying as some may have us believe. Though I do agree with you and think that activities like going for a walk or maybe even just sitting on a park bench are things that we should make the extra effort to do.
Take it easy
Nathan
Comment by Micha Nadia Mathieu
Art_culture _and_today's_issues
Adding to that we are not meant to be indoor all the time and alone, but we have this tendency more and more and it kills our social skills but also our health.