The Paradox of Choice

Consumerism is a form of social control. It is in this state of “unfreedom” in which consumers act irrationally by working more than they are required to fulfill actual basic needs, ignoring the psychologically destructive effects, ignoring the waste and environmental damage it causes, and also by searching for social connection through material items. It is even more irrational in the sense that the creation of new products, calling for the disposal of old products, fuels the economy and encourages the increased need to work more to buy more. An individual loses his or her humanity and becomes a tool to the industrial machine and a cog in the consumer machine. Additionally advertising sustains consumerism, which disintegrates societal demeanor, delivered in bulk and informing the masses that happiness can be bought, an idea that is psychologically damaging. It objectifies life, recasting it as a commodity. This worship of"dead" matter gives us the illusion of choice. We are slaves to our own devices, this is the paradox of choice.

This option driven system objectifies human life. Woman as well as men become objects to cater to the needs of the masses and their lust for self-stimulation. If our environment shapes us psychologically, what do think this ideology subjects us too? It allows us to think of everything, including people as options. A paradigm takes shape, it is evolved around an extreme. We embrace the individual at the expense of the community. All things now posses some monetary value including organic life and even our very thoughts. Giant agricultural corporations like Monsanto were able to patten seeds. This patten on life led to the destruction of thousands of local farms and farmers. Big Investment Houses like Goldman Sachs willing trashed the global market and walked away with $100 millions of dollars of tax payers money. Money that family's had invested stock for retirement or college. This illusion of choice is a paradox. The very idea that happiness is gained through material wealth is exposed as a lie!