This draft lacks the polish of a full post, but the content is almost there. The kind of constructive feedback you would normally put on a Forum post is very welcome. Apologies for the formatting.
Abstract
Conspicuous consumption—the act of spending primarily to signal wealth and status rather than for practical use—remains a dominant force in consumer behaviour, despite its well-documented association with lower well-being and diminished social cohesion. This essay examines the underlying motivations for conspicuous consumption, including its role in signalling success and avoiding negative emotions, while considering that it reflects an overly individualistic mindset and economically profitable market. It is argued that this form of consumption fosters competition, erodes social cohesion, and glorifies economic inequalities while failing to provide lasting fulfilment. By exploring alternative pathways to status, via redefining someone who we consider successful as having traits such as generosity, gratitude, and community-driven values, the essay advocates for a shift away from wasteful displays of wealth toward more meaningful and socially beneficial uses of resources. Ultimately, it calls for structural and cultural changes that prioritise well-being over material excess, freeing up $470 billion for altrusitic use.
[I think on reflection that I could frame it more as also an exploration into why generosity takes a backseat to conspicuous consumption in society, when it is such a well-studied better alternative.]
Introduction
Conspicuous consumption—the act of spending primarily to signal wealth and status rather than for practical use—is a $470 billion market [^1]. Yet research consistently links materialistic values to lower well-being, while generosity and pro-social behaviour do the opposite, benefiting both recipient _and_ donor [^2][^3]. If this is the case, why does conspicuous consumption remain so widespread?
Understanding why we engage in it and how to reverse this self-centred spending could redirect vast resources toward effective altruistic causes, creating meaningful and lasting change.
Reason 1. To Signal Success and Attain Status
- Most obviously, conspicuous consumption is about achieving status [^4].
- The ability to buy something of high expense and low utility signals surplus wealth, which is intended to then afford the consumer status.
1.1. Why do we do this ?
Humans inherently seek validation and belonging [^5].
- The desire for connection and a respected place in society are fundamental human needs, crucial both in ancestral environments and in modern society for survival and reproduction.
- The desire itself is not unhealthy, but how we seek its fulfilment might be.
Wealth is an easy way to compare and evaluate each other.
- Money is highly visible and easily quantifiable, especially in comparison to other status-worthy qualities like integrity.
- (And the appearance of wealth is easily commodifiable).
- It also has a basis in real utility, keeping food on the table and a roof over our heads, making money naturally alluring to the human brain.
Money has been normalised as a way to symbolise 'success'.
- Success has two definitions on Merriam-Webster:
- "favorable or desired outcome"
- "the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence" [^6].
- If ‘someone who succeeds’ (and thus someone worthy of status) means both someone who reaches high on our value hierarchy for desired outcomes, and also someone who attains wealth and power, we are inclined to conflate the two, taking wealth and power as the thing of greatest desire.
- This attitude pervades our societal thinking, influencing how we evaluate ourselves, others, and ourselves in the eyes of others.
- In turn, this strengthens the tendency to engage in conspicuous consumption, as a way to signal success to others, and thus a high ranking in the hierarchy.
Wealth attempts to signal greater qualities.
- Acquiring wealth often requires skill, productivity, and valuable contributions—attributes we deem worthy of respect.
- Having wealth *implies* these attributes, and is easily assessed, especially compared to a long observation of character traits.
- Thus wealth is respected as a proxy for these attributes.
- However, wealth itself cannot be valued as the equivalent of theses attribute. The accuracy of the signal is limited by several flaws:
- Wealth can be acquired through chance or circumstance (inheritance, for example).
- Wealth can be acquired through rent-seeking methods (rather than adding value to society).
- Conversely, some jobs that do add value to society are aren't paid accordingly (think who was deemed an 'essential worker' during Covid: nurses, binmen, teachers, grocery-store workers, etc.).
- The appearance of wealth can be faked. (In fact, this very idea is a lucrative part of the conspicuous consumption market.)
Creating identity.
- If someone sees themselves as "the stylish one" or "the successful one," they may feel the need to consume to maintain that image.
Studies found that a romantic motive increased conspicuous consumption [^7].
- This indicates that conspicuous consumption is an attempt to increase social standing and attract a mate.
Wealth does simply have power, which is a basis of status.
- A billionaire can lift you out of poverty, out of your sad job, into an endless-mojito vacation.
- This naturally puts a power imbalance between you.
1.2. What is the impact ?
This attitude naturally fosters comparison and competition.
- If status is solely tied to wealth, we create a zero-sum competition, as wealth is inherently relative.
- It is not just about climbing up, but pushing others down. Any win for you is either a loss for me, or a loss for the poor people we both consider ourselves above.
- The status acquired is necessarily status *over* someone else.
- Moreover, this is just an illusion most of the time, so-called luxury brands being rather common these days, especially among the lower economic classes [^8].
- Comparison to others is the thief of joy [^9].
Connections are based on what we have, rather than who we are.
- Even if wealth does elevate our status, it often attracts the wrong kind of attention, reinforcing shallow values and unhealthy relationships.
- For example, wealth-based status can draw in gold-diggers or superficial connections, rather than relationships based on genuine character.
Wealth becomes confused with skill and productivity.
- If having wealth is considered equal to having skilfully contributed to society, we diminish the social value of actually contributing to society.
- Teachers is a skilled and valuable role in our society, but the economic compensation is little as it's hard to quantify their direct impact. If we solely respond to this vocation with scorn for its average wage, we discourage a vital service—just as we do with nurses, carers, and a myriad other jobs.
- Conversely, we praise rent-seekers. Children grow up wanting to make money in whatever way possible, rather than providing a valuable service for those around them.
Wealth becomes the sole focus in a life.
- If wealth is confused with success, it's presupposed to be at the top of our hierarchy of values.
- Again, materialistic values are associated with lower well-being, life-satisfaction, and more [^2].
- The hedonic treadmill ensures that no amount of wealth will ever be enough, leaving you perpetually unsatisfied [^10].
- Perhaps one could argue that this dynamic benefits the economy, but are workers with lower well-being truly more productive? Fear and dissatisfaction may drive motivation, but not in a healthy or sustainable way. And ultimately, what is the purpose of the economy if not to improve well-being?
Showing some level of financial solvency helps integrate into society.
- Desperation can drive people to do bad things, and therefore people tend to take cautious distance.
- Connection can suffer from imbalanced power differential, where one party can stop the other starving tonight at relatively little cost. This naturally puts a strain on the relationship, in the same way being a billionaire does.
- Showing than you have *some* money by doing the bare minimum of washing and wearing appropriate clothing avoids this dynamic.
Violence occurs in the context of competition for material goods and status [^11].
- Now that status is visible, and commodified, it can be forcibly taken.
1.3. What better alternatives are there ?
Status is inevitable, but we can optimise what earns status.
Redefine success and our criteria for awarding status.
- Clarifying the overlap in the meaning of success will create a clearer distinction.
- *Material success* can refer to the acquisition of money, power, and/or fame.
- *Soul success* can refer to achievement of, or adherence to, a broader and deeper range of self-examined values.
- Ideas of soul success cannot be universally prescribed, but I hope the rest of the essay will help outline some of the values I personally hold, particularly in contrast to conspicuous consumption.
- Here are some values that come to mind:
- (Notice they are numerous and internal, sidestepping the issues of zero-sum competition.)
- Treating oneself right with exercise and nutrition;
- Admitting fault and looking to learn from mistakes;
- Facing discomfort;
- Striving for truth;
- Upholding responsibilities;
- Connection to others;
- Productivity and generosity;
- A focus on positive impact on others;
- Being kind and loving.
- Action: Try and define *soul success* for yourself. Ask yourself what you truly value.
- Action: Make a concerted effort to use these new terms, bringing more precision to your speech.
We, naturally, afford status to some healthier traits; Cuddy et. al. d two dimensions across which we evaluate these traits [^12]:
- Warmth
- Generosity, trustworthiness, and empathy are often perceived as having higher social status due to the moral and emotional intelligence these traits signal.
- Competence
- Traits such as intelligence, skill, and leadership are seen as respect-worthy due to the real-world influence they can have.
- While fitness isn't explicitly mentioned in the model, it aligns with the ideas of discipline, self-control, and capability.
- (Again, wealth acts as a proxy for competence.)
- Pursuing these domains can increase status in a healthy way.
Curating norm-creating influences.
- Since engagement with media is inevitable, be mindful of the messages it conveys.
- For example, I personally stopped listening to much of the rap I enjoyed over the past 10 years, as the constant messages I was absorbing involved the objectification of women and the flaunting of money.
There will always be some extent to which our consumption afford us status.
- We must, however, ensure this does not overshadow other values when making purchasing decisions.
- Dressing impractically for the sake of fashion is putting too much emphasis on guessing what others will like, at a cost to yourself.
- Dressing in a friendly way, however, involves considering how you make others feel without incurring any real cost to yourself — it’s nicer to make an old lady smile than to make her feel uncomfortable.
- Wearing a suit to a wedding can be framed as respect and reverence for the occasion rather than showing off.
- Some minimum level of consideration of others is important: being clean, wearing appropriate clothing, etc. But be careful not to take it too far.
- There is also the consideration that looking good measurably increases the way people treat you, this is a tangible benefit.
- Caution is required to not base too much of our self-worth in this alone.
- Separating out these mixes of motivations is a hard balancing act, and requires self-examination.
- Action: Keep a journal for a week, noting every instance of seeking attention from others. After each entry, assess if the behaviour is healthy and aligns with your values. Review the journal at the end of the week to identify patterns. Eg. Why exactly do you spend time putting on earrings ? What is that trying to show ?
Reason 2. To Avoid Negative Emotions
As we have established, materialism has a vast literature linking it to diminished well-being. Many of these same studies found experiential avoidance as a mediating factor [^2] [^13]. Experiential avoidance is defined as the reluctance to confront negative emotions [^14]. Instead of addressing and processing emotions, there is a tendency to suppress them and focus on other things, seeking short-term relief.
2.1. Why do we do this ?
Negative emotions are an inevitable part of the human condition, and conspicuous consumption can be one strategy for dealing with them.
- Purchasing can offer temporary relief, distraction, or a sense of control.
- The gratification is immediate, where as long-term solutions usually bare the brunt up-front.
- The barrier to entry is fairly low, again when compared to long-term solutions.
- Against issues such as low self-worth or a lack of respect from others, conspicuous consumption may be particularly alluring, as they provide an easy means of impressing materialistic individuals.
- This tendency towards immediate gratification has been deliberately cultivated and exploited for its economic profitability.
- E.g. "treat yourself" culture, where self-care is equated to spending.
- There can be a vicious cycle at play, in which materialism not only fails to resolve but also sustains or exacerbates the very negative emotions it seeks to alleviate.
2.2. What is the impact ?
Suppression of negative emotions.
- A meta-analysis suggested that suppressing emotions can adversely affect mental health [^15].
- Since genuine connection with others relies on truthful expression, it is unsurprising that suppression predicts lower social support, reduced closeness, and diminished social satisfaction [^16].
- One study even suggests that emotional suppression may increase the risk of premature death [^17].
- A 1997 study demonstrated that suppressing negative emotions can lead to elevated heart rate and blood pressure, which may contribute to stress-related health issues [^18].
- This strategy can provide short-term relief and be beneficial in moderation, such as maintaining professionalism in the workplace. However, it is not a long-term solution [^19].
- In fact, a meta-analysis showed a slight increase in the frequency of thought after suppression [^17].
- Reinforcing the habit of suppression and not being mindful about the at hand issue, may lead to more destructive coping mechanisms of suppression and distraction, such as gambling or drug use [^20].
Ignoring the chance for growth.
- Posttraumatic growth theory suggests that positive change can arise after a challenging life event, including greater appreciation for life, more meaningful relationships, a heightened sense of personal strength, changed priorities, and a deeper existential and spiritual life [^21].
- It requires, however, significant cognitive processing of the event.
- A 2004 paper reviewed a broad range of empirical studies and concluded that the cognitive and emotional engagement with distressing experiences (including the negative emotions they evoke) is often a necessary precursor to the kind of personal development observed in posttraumatic growth [^22].
Deeper values are neglected.
- In order to avoid the deep emotions, focus is narrowed to more immediate and shallow gratification.
- Deeper values naturally take a longer time to accomplish, or involve delaying gratification.
- Thus they fall by the wayside, leading to a lack of lasting fulfilment and deeper life satisfaction.
- "People lose contact with what they want in life, beyond relief from psychological pain" [^13].
Lower financial satisfaction.
- The hedonic treadmill describes the human tendency to return to a base-level of happiness despite a positive event [^10].
- Applied here, it means the thrill of new purchases fades quickly, requiring larger and more frequent acquisitions to maintain positive feelings.
- Seeing as there is always a possibility to earn or buy more, one can't ever be satisfied.
- Moreover, the pressure to "keep up with the Joneses" fosters constant comparison, furthering dissatisfaction when others acquire new possessions, reinforcing a cycle of inadequacy and desire for more.
- This low financial satisfaction can spill over into other areas of life, reducing overall well-being [^10].
Self-worth is based on an uncontrollable factor.
- Materialism is often linked to social approval.
- However, social approval is a largely uncontrollable factor.
- As a result, self-worth tied to it becomes vulnerable and fragile.
Reduced tolerance for discomfort.
- The habit to run away from discomfort is reinforced.
- This may pervade into other areas, making worthwhile pursuits significantly harder.
- Eating well, exercising, studying, starting a business, attending an improv class, travelling alone—there are so many valuable experiences that require discomfort.
The vulnerable are exploited.
- Research has shown that people in vulnerable situations (emotionally or financially) are more likely to fall prey to materialistic desires, with some even going into debt to appear wealthy or keep up with social expectations [^23].
- This can be a viscous cycle, exacerbating the problem.
2.3. What better alternatives are there ?
Listening to our emotions.
- Emotions were evolved to tell us something, or encourage action.
- Eg. fear is the production of adrenaline enabling fight or flight [^24].
- Spend the time to sit in the emotion and give space for thoughts to arise [^25].
- Mindfulness (observing emotions without judgment).
- Journaling (processing abstract feelings into concrete language).
- Therapy (a safe guiding through this process).
- Reframing discomfort as a sign of growth, or reconstructing the narrative of the event within a broader life context [^21].
- Action: Next time you feel a negative emotion give it space; I personally recommend a walk with no headphones -- deliberate, bounded rumination.
- Action: Note the ways in which you naturally try to supress things, whether it is retail therapy or overeating or YouTube videos about physics; we all have something.
Share and connect with others.
- Engage in dialogue with trusted people: friends, family, a therapist.
- A lack of connection, of which materialism is associated, may be a root cause of some negative emotions in the first place [^26].
- Be there for others in the same way you would like them to be there for you.
- This brings more connection to your life, adn the life of others.
- Action: Call a friend, and during the conversation ask 'How did that make you feel ?' at least once, you may be surprised how powerful that question can be.
Finding the areas for growth.
- People's recovery from the traumatic experience is influenced by the extent to which they are able to find some benefit in the experience [^27].
- People who do this frequently report having a higher level of well-being and functioning compared to before the trauma [^28].
Establish stronger values.
- Defining yourself against how you react to stimuli brings control back into your hands.
- If you have a clear understanding of your principals beforehand, they can be a guiding light to fall back on in a time of distress.
- Eg. Just telling the truth, and being pleased with yourself that you did, despite any uncontrollable outcomes.
Look to the source of the issues and begin working there.
- Treating the symptom is one thing, tackling the root cause may be a more long term fix.
2.3.1. Gratitude
Gratitude and Materialism
- Multiple papers suggest a negative correlation between gratitude and materialism itself [^29] [^30].
- "Gratitude-based intervention can reduce the subjects’ belief that material wealth brings happiness and signifies success” [^31].
- An attitude centred on being content with what one currently has stands in stark contrast to the hedonic treadmill and its pitfalls.
Gratitude and Well-Being
- A meta-analytic aggregation provides evidence that dispositional gratitude is moderately to strongly correlated with well-being, however defined [^32].
- Gratitude encourages individuals to focus on positive experiences and aspects of their lives, fostering a more optimistic outlook [^33].
- More grateful people were found in one study to be better at coping with negative experiences [^34].
- They are more attuned to the supportiveness of their network and, as a result, are more likely to reach out.
- Grateful individuals were more likely to adopt coping strategies that actively addressed the problem, such as positive reinterpretation and seeking opportunities for growth.
- Conversely, they were less inclined to disengage from the problem.
- Additionally, being grateful is associated with several other mechanisms influencing well-being[^35]:
- Improved self-esteem;
- Enhanced accessibility to positive memories;
- Higher spirituality and mindfulness;
- Facilitated goal attainment;
- More social resources;
- Improved physical health.
- Action: Thank someone for their contributions to your life.
- Action: Find a moment in your day where you can create a habit of expressing gratitude (or, more accurately, taking a moment to find gratitude for something you might otherwise overlook). For example, you could associate this practice with brushing your teeth [^36].
- Action: Gratitude journaling, regularly writing down things for which you are grateful [^37].
- The practice can take many forms, such as listing three things you’re grateful for each day or writing more detailed reflections on moments of appreciation.
- It was shown to reduce materialistic tendencies [^38].
- Furthermore, it was proven to increase well-being [^39].
Reason 3. An Overly 'Individualistic' Mindset
- Conspicuous consumption conveys an extremely individualistic mindset.
- The message sent by conspicuous consumption is as follows:
- ‘"I had the means to provide for any number of essential needs—be it my own or others'—but chose instead to spend it on something with no practical value, simply to demonstrate my financial surplus."
- Even when the joy wealth can provide diminishes to mild satisfaction for the price of $1,000, this personal indulgence takes precedence over the potential to purchase 500 bednets to protect those living in malaria-stricken areas from infected mosquitos [^40].
- Conspicuous consumption takes it another step further, by then proudly advertising that this choice was made.
- Furthermore, the main benefit provided at the expense of the bednets is not merely self-serving pleasure, it is that the consumer may assert financial dominance *over* others.
- I can't thing of a more individualistic act that's committed at such a large scale.
3.1. Why do we think like this ?
- Numerous factors contribute to a society's mindset, and accurately analysing the rise of individualism would require a book unto itself.
- I should focus here on why we allow the crass individualism of conspicuous consumption specifically, for brevity and humility.
A lack of awareness.
- In many cases, the opportunity costs of altruism simply aren't considered.
- (This serves to further highlight the extent to which financial decisions are shaped by individual priorities rather than a sense of collective responsibility.)
- Whether or not we have the moral responsibility to provide the bednets requires deep examination, furnishing an ethical system of personal resource allocation to avoid falling into complete impartial self-sacrifice, while allowing room for altruistic deeds. I will dedicate an entire follow-up essay to this analysis.
- (As an aside: it becomes very relevant that regardless of any moral duty, generosity actually benefits all parties, recipient *and* donor.)
- What is relevant for now is the discomfort this juxtaposition creates and the moral struggle it inevitably demands.
- Now contrast this intuition with how quickly and proudly people dismiss it. Are you truly confident enough in the ethics of not providing the potentially life-saving bednets that you would have $470 billion is spent in this way ?
- As an aside, note just how individualistic the common rebuttals to the altruistic contrast are:
- "It's *my* money *I* can do as *I* want with it";
- "*I* don't owe *them* anything".
- (Once again, I am choosing not to delve into these points at present, despite believing I could refute them. I simply wish to highlight how deep our self-concern runs.)
A viscous cycle.
- When individuals adopt a mindset of personal gain and self-sufficiency, they are less likely to feel motivated to assist others.
- This mindset can lead to the belief that others are equally self-reliant or uninterested in offering help.
- In response to this feeling of insecurity, individuals may seek to accumulate more resources, material possessions, or wealth as a means of safeguarding their own well-being.
- As more wealth is accumulated, returns diminish, meaning it costs exponentially more to buy a small increase in personal happiness. Once food and water are on a mahogany table in the dining room you only use at Christmas, what more is there to buy other than conspicuously luxury goods ?
- These goods overtly exemplify a self-centred approach, further perpetuating the cycle by fostering material competition and actively highlighting a reluctance to assist others with one's wealth, despite long-surpassing material subsistence.
Equating self-worth and success with personal achievement, rather than societal contribution.
- As discussed, our definitions of succeeding in life tend towards individual accumulation of wealth and power.
- These aren't valueless things, but they often eclipse deeper values like community and connection.
Again, the behaviour has been normalised.
- Following norms isn’t inherently bad—it allows for integration and builds on the wisdom of those before us. In fact, it has been shown to correlate with well-being [^41].
- However, blindly adhering to them, even the healthiest ones, can be problematic. Living an examined life is essential.
- We aren't used to thinking about a Montclair beanie as explicitly foregoing personal opportunity costs, let alone altruistic ones. It isn't seen as an abdication of collective responsibility, just normal behaviour with ’spare’ money.
Social media is hugely prevalent, and inherently emphasises the individual.
- Social media favours quick snapshots, making material success more visible and easily showcased than personal growth:
- Luxury items can be effortlessly displayed in a single image.
- Qualities like trustworthiness are far less tangible and harder to capture.
- Fame, however, can be both acquired and exhibited within this space.
- Meanwhile, those who place less importance on external validation are less inclined to post at all.
3.2. What is the impact ?
- A lot of the aforementioned impacts are extremified: competition, isolation, violence.
- The negative cycle is perpetuated.
Wealth inequality increases, as we have less regard and perceived responsibility for those below us.
- Meaning, for example, that 1.4 million people will die of TB this year, a disease we have largely overcome in richer countries because we have the funds to do so.
- It is by this metric one may perceive conspicuous consumption to be *overly* individualistic.
Again I must reiterate the diminished brotherhood.
- Conspicuous consumption is a multi-billion dollar blockade between each of us, willingly advertised by the big logo on my hat: *every man for himself.*
It blinds us to the environmental impacts of excessive consumption.
- When thinking solely about ourselves, it is hard to care about the planet.
- The impacts of climate change are vague, distant, and communal, but this new plastic toy is tangible, immediate, and mine.
[Research to be done on individualistic cultures and their impacts]
3.3. What better alternatives are there ?
Perhaps simply considering the impact we can have on others a little more; wrestling with what responsibilities we have or don't have.
- Action: Examine this norm, how does the comparison of possibly life-saving malaria bed nets make you feel about your purchase ? More specifically, about *showing off* your purchase.
- Also, read the follow-up essay when I post it.
3.3.1. Generosity
- Most of the problems exposed by conspicuous consumption—surplus money, lack of meaning, lack of self-worth, a desire for connection and a proper place in society—are counteracted by generosity.
Generosity improves well-being.
- A meta-analysis, published in 2018, of 27 studies (total N = 4045) found that kindness has a small-to-medium positive effect on the well-being of the actor (δ = 0.28)[^3].
- This is a relatively large effect size for the social sciences, where a wide range of small factors constantly influence mood and behaviour, comparable to other positive psychology interventions such as ‘mindfulness’ (d = 0.34), ‘positive thinking’ (d = 0.31), and ‘counting your blessings’(d = 0.44) (on a scale of -1 to 1, 0 being no correlation and 1 being perfect correlation) [^42][^43][^44].
Generosity gives meaning and self-worth.
- Evidence from a representative data-set of adult Americans, concurrent with multiple other studies, showed that participants who engaged in pro-social behaviour — volunteering and spending money to benefit others — reported experiencing greater meaning in their lives [^45].
- The same paper identified ”increased self-worth as the mechanism".
Generosity is nicely concurrent with increasing gratitude.
- A study of over 900 adolescents not only found that keeping a gratitude journal significantly reduced materialism, but that it also “attenuated materialism’s negative effect on generosity” [^46].
- A 2017 meta-analysis of 65 papers (Total N = 18,342) revealed a moderately positive correlation between gratitude and pro-sociality (r = .374) [^47].
- They also found that gratitude in short-term response to a prosocial act was linked more strongly to pro-sociality than a general disposition to gratitude, suggesting a positive cycle of kindness to be upheld.
It has a sound evolutionary explanation.
- Many of the studies in the large body of research associating pro-social behaviours and well-being are correlational (although not all), but one can imagine the causal link: evolutionary advantage.
- If happiness is seen as a reward system for behaviours that enhance survival and reproduction, it makes sense that being generous with goods, time, and energy—eg. caring for others, sharing food, maintaining relationships—would foster happiness [^3].
- The group being stronger benefits both the individual and the community, leading to greater gains for all involved.
Generosity can increase status.
- Among those with more materialist values, it shows material surplus, with an ability to give away.
- Among those with less materialist values, it shows generosity, kindness, and reliability.
- Generosity within your community.
- Participants, when given $5 or $20 in the morning, were happier at the end of the day if they spent that money on others, rather than themselves [^48].
- Action: Buy someone a coffee, say hello to the train conductor, smile at a lady on the street.
Generosity to charities.
- A global study of over one million respondents indicated an association between donating to charity in the previous month and higher life-satisfaction [^49].
- The World Happiness Report finds whether someone has donate money to charity in the past month, relative to their wealth, to be one of the six strongest indicators of well-being worldwide [^49].
- Moreover, the same survey data from the GWP suggests that donation-derived happiness is comparable to nearly doubling one’s household income [^50].
- Action: Take the pledge.
- Data from a 2017 study suggests ”that a commitment to generous behaviour can increase happiness and thereby provide a neural mechanism that links commitment-induced generosity to happiness” [^51].
- [they gotta say stuff about it]
Generosity with time.
- A study across 29,000 Americans found higher self-reported happiness in those who volunteer, even when controlling for other personal differences [^52].
- Higher life-satisfaction was suggested to correlate with volunteering in data from 30,000 people in 12-countries, concurrent with GWP’s later survey of over 1,000,000 people worldwide [^53][^49].
- Action: Volunteer somewhere; it can be a great way to learn skills, meet people, and improve the world !
It creates a positive cycle.
- Research indicates that prosocial behaviour can encourage further prosocial actions [^54].
A note on love, and having children.
- Having children is a significant sacrifice, as it involves taking on a large responsibility for someone who cannot yet comprehend gratitude or return favours for many years.
- Yet, people do it all the time and often claim it’s the best thing they’ve ever done.
- It's a trope that love is worth more than all the resources in world for good reason.
- Adopting a more loving attitude requires sacrifice, and gives back so much more.
A note on motivation.
- For the positive effect of generosity to be present, the actor may need to be genuinely invested in helping the other, not just in benefitting themselves.
- One 2012 study into a group of older adult volunteers found that those motivated by a desire to help others lived longer than those who reported volunteering for self-oriented reasons [^55].
- There have been some studies which found no positive correlation between generosity and well-being, and thus it has been suggested that the right conditions are necessary to garner the positive effects [^56].
- One paper suggests that the participants in these studies lacked some or all of the three components described by Self-Determination Theory (SDT):
- *autonomy*, feeling in control of ones willingly-chosen actions;
- *competence*, perceiving oneself as an effective agent;
- and *relatedness*, feeling meaningful connections to a social group [^57].
- A strong personal conviction to donate, witnessing the impact of your generosity, and feeling connected to other donors or the recipient will enhance the joy you derive from it.
Linking it back to the moral duty discussion.
- Again, whether it's a moral duty or not is a huge discussion, and an interesting one.
- But ultimately, if its good for you, and far better than the alternative conspicuous consumption in every metric, then why not ?
Reason 4. It is profitable
- Reasons 1-3, and the myriad others that are unmentioned, all come together to make conspicuous consumption big business.
- Not only is there the inbuilt potential for a high demand, but supplying it is extremely profitable; a large mark up *is* the selling point.
- The economic incentives will inevitably create nudges towards conspicuous consumption in our environment, and this is a large force not to be ignored.
What can we do about this ?
Send a message to the suppliers, as the consumer.
- If the market demand decreases, supply should decrease accordingly.
- This is one of the only things in each of our direct powers, although we must be aware we small cogs in a big machine, its still something worth doing (for ourselves, our integrity, and the change it might bring to others).
- Action: Don't conspicuously consume (examine the root causes within yourself and focus on addressing those.).
Don't give our validation.
- Social validation is what the product offers, essentially.
- If we stop giving it, conspicuous consumption looses its power.
- (I'm unsure how effective active disapproval will be, as the message must be conveyed kindly for people to accept it without becoming defensive [^58].)
Structural changes.
- We could pass laws inhibiting or prohibiting the practise.
- It is beyond the scope of this essay to truly evaluate any policies and their implementation, but one suggestion might be a tax on these luxury items.
- This is a nice paper on the matter: [Is luxury tax justifiable? | Economics & Philosophy | Cambridge Core](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/economics-and-philosophy/article/is-luxury-tax-justifiable/4E9A5F5C5AFFC82160007EE28FD2C30B) .
Make better alternative ways to conspicuous consume.
- A potlatch-inspired ceremony, whereby one conspicuously gives away wealth (and perhaps destroys useless material items) in a show of generosity, anti-materialism, and, ultimately, wealth and power.
- Wearing brands which are loud about their support for charity.
- A Balenciaga x Oxfam Collab perhaps (profits going to Oxfam of course).
- Or simply a new brand that uses charity-association as a selling point -- GiveWell merch ?
- Seeing others donate inspires more donation [^59].
- One fault of many with this idea is that any money given to GiveWell through a t-shirt sale would have been better without the t-shirt in the way, creating waste and using resources unnecessarily. However, if this is money that wouldn't have otherwise been captured, we can possibly permit the trade-off, especially if the consumer would have bought a new t-shirt anyway.
- A brand that is secretly giving profits away would capture money from those who still value conspicuous consumption.
Conclusion
When addressing the issues underlying conspicuous consumption, we should adopt an attitude of kindness and understanding. Behind it we see pain, desire for connection, and a lack of awareness—universal human experiences. Taking the steps outlined here, along with more to be explored, we can work to rid ourselves of this negative tendency of ostentation. By fostering gratitude, listening to our emotions, independently designing a conception of soul success, and becoming more generous we can move forward into a kinder and happier world.
Limitations of the essay
- I think there could be more focus on why we are not being generous right now, considering it is such a well-studied home-run solution.
- The impacts appear one-sided—but I simply didn't find many benefits of conspicuous consumption. Looking for more would provide an opportunity to test my argument more thoroughly.
- It would be valuable to incorporate a philosophy of resource allocation to further develop my claim that conspicuous consumption is *too* individualistic, this is contained in another half-written essay of equal length to the current one. It's inclusion distracts from the point that regardless of the moral obligation, its better for everyone be generous. (This itself is enough for to be considered a consequential moral obligation.)
- Are there particular cultures or demographics more inclined to engage in conspicuous consumption?
- What can the history of conspicuous consumption teach us?
- A more comprehensive analysis of the possible structural changes is needed.
- More information on how to spread the message is missing: how do we change the hearts and minds on a larger scale ?
- Citations done hastily to meet the draft deadline.
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