Oct 20, 2023·edited Oct 20, 2023Liked by Kristen Gutierrez
There's a video I watched recently on an interview with David Foster Wallace on consumerism. The whole thing is a must watch, but there's a part which I think relates to what you talk about here -
"Do what you want, gratify your appetites, because when I'm a corporation appealing to the parts of you that are selfish and self-centered and want to have fun all the time, is the best way to sell you things."
When you talk about the mass critcism of a person trying to live a stable, simple and quiet life it speaks to how we've been conditioned to believe that excess is good, that our values are now so individualistic that we have this constant "abundant hunger for more" as you mention. In the video, he even talks about how we can't still anymore, that silence is deafening to us, and we crave constant stimulation. It's crazy that this was 20 years ago, it really feels like things have only accelerated from that time, and what you have written perfectly captures this reality we live in.
Loved watching snippets of the video, thank you for that! "To gratify every impulse feels like slavery." Oh it absolutely does, how often do we get in the way of our own silence and satisfaction because external callings force us to break some notion of monotony? Thank you always for the support <3
There's a video I watched recently on an interview with David Foster Wallace on consumerism. The whole thing is a must watch, but there's a part which I think relates to what you talk about here -
https://youtu.be/P1PC1sArw70?si=rREQwyo2p8ttrtUc&t=347
5:52-6:06
"Do what you want, gratify your appetites, because when I'm a corporation appealing to the parts of you that are selfish and self-centered and want to have fun all the time, is the best way to sell you things."
When you talk about the mass critcism of a person trying to live a stable, simple and quiet life it speaks to how we've been conditioned to believe that excess is good, that our values are now so individualistic that we have this constant "abundant hunger for more" as you mention. In the video, he even talks about how we can't still anymore, that silence is deafening to us, and we crave constant stimulation. It's crazy that this was 20 years ago, it really feels like things have only accelerated from that time, and what you have written perfectly captures this reality we live in.
Great article ❤️
Loved watching snippets of the video, thank you for that! "To gratify every impulse feels like slavery." Oh it absolutely does, how often do we get in the way of our own silence and satisfaction because external callings force us to break some notion of monotony? Thank you always for the support <3