Consumerism is what develops when the desire for that new thing replaces the actual obtaining of that new thing. If this was not the case, we would not speak of it with the attached -ism on the end. The -ism represents that it is a way of life. In this sense, consumerism is effectively an endless hunger. Truly, it is a tenacious even if not peaceful manner of life; the idea that our status should be tied to an endless process of desiring, getting, and then cycling that over and over again is not for the weak of heart. It is unlikely that those under this consumerist spell know that they are, or, even if they do, they do not have the resources to break that spell.

Historically, before the modern ideas of a radical individualism, a person set on obtaining some item was more or less set on obtaining some good. The “pursuit of happiness” was defined at that time as “the pursuit of virtue,” which was generally understood as seeking goods that benefitted oneself and the larger community. Such, of course, had a far more detailed value system undergirding it, typically of the Catholic sort. Desire for desire’s sake was not socially valued; somehow, desiring was accredited status. Perhaps it was supposed that only the rich could enjoy the luxury of speculating and desiring because the working class didn’t have the time to indulge in these things, working as they were. Since we now know tangibly and from a great deal of observable data that an entire culture can fall under the spell of consumerism, desire for desire’s sake is not only for the rich. The 10th commandment haunts us: “do not covet, this or that of your neighbor . . . .”

The net result of setting to obtain something is designed to be satisfaction, but desire for desire’s sake removes satisfaction in favor of setting up an artificial status factory. This factory is designed both to feed an endless hunger for status and imprison us to a hunger insatiable. My point is that setting one’s sights to obtain something should have an endpoint, a point at which we can say, “I have achieved, and I have good satisfaction.” What we find in people under the spell of consumerism is a behavior that seeks the next thing to desire as soon as the present desire is nearly obtained. There is little pause to enjoy the work of one’s achievement. In short, desire should be strategic for some end beyond itself and not an end in itself.

Perfection is a problem for humanity. Humans are imperfect by definition. Limitations abound on humans, and tragically humans understand this all too well by virtue of imagining what it might be like without those imperfections. Perfection is at once humanity’s Judge and Salvation; it highlights humanity’s lack yet it holds the solution to that lack. What consumerism draws out is this incessant desire for perfection. If we hold that perfection is defined by God, by a Person arguable infinite in some respects, then a desire for Him would need to reoccur endlessly. Satisfaction, however, is to be the fuel for continual and renewed pursuit of this Perfection. Desire for desire’s sake is therefore avoided. Consumerism draws out human need for Perfection through disappointment. There is something strange here. Is it that the disappointment leads to the marginalization of the importance of the object of desire in favor of the desire itself? It is hard to argue with: if those objects of desire are miserable at making us satisfied, why bother with making them responsible for our satisfaction? From this disappointment comes the specter of consumerism, the zeitgeist of the current Western world. The harmful effects play out in at least two ways although there may well be more: (1) the desirers, undeterred in their quest for perfection, become increasingly demanding that finite, flawed, and imperfect humans provide perfection, or (2) they press into accruing status through flaunting their desire for desire’s sake to a community of similarly oriented people. This second option is a kind of concession prize for being unable to acquire the first option. Nevertheless, the 2nd option also illustrates how consumerism is infectious among consumers playing into that game.

Consumerism takes advantage of something good, the desire for perfection. A dark exchange happens where the Object of Desire (God) is exchanged for an attempt to fashion perfection ourselves. St. Paul lays out something similar in Romans, where sin takes advantage of the law and so sin becomes excessively sinful. Thus, consumerism takes advantage of perfection, and so consumerism becomes increasingly evil. This becoming more evil plays out in the obvious cruelty and frustration of those trying to force perfection into limited persons and their tasks. Alternatively, the quest for obtaining perfection is abandoned in favor of gaining status by the repeated process of desiring, talk about desiring with similar likeminded people, get, and desire something else. This person becomes the perfect consumer. Covetousness is advanced as virtue, an economy of guiltless hunger transpires, and the corporations get rich.

Dr. Scalise