I have been having a problem -- a case of mild affluenza. Interestingly, I do not think that one needs to be affluent to suffer from affluenza because I am not affluent by a long shot. My definition of measure of affluence is, as dictionary.com has it, "having an an abundance of wealth, property, or other material goods; prosperous; rich". I have debts -- not mounting but enough to suffocate me at times.
According to Wikipedia, the book Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic defines affluenza as "a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more."[1]
So, is it painful? Yes and No. There is something nice about it depending on what you buy.
Is it contagious? Can be. Have you ever bought something so good that you wax lyrically about it to someone else? What happens the next minute? That person buys it. The thing is that, by talking about it, it creates a desire for someone to own it or maybe even own something similar (better or worse is irrelevant). This is the power of advertising -- word-of-mouth or whatever is also irrelevant. I am thinking about how many people around had bought a Kambrook BlitzToGo or similar. Thus, this condition of affluenza is definitely a socially transmitted condition.
Overload? Of course.
Debt? Not always. There are always people who choose to buy not on credit card. But having said that, surely the purchase price can go into the home loan or a donation.
Anxiety? No. My purchases only bring me joy. At times, it also makes life easier for me (think smartphones, think phablets). I never get anxious about how to use something. I was born with a microchip in my brain to use these gadgets -- no anxiety there...
Waste. Oh yes, definitely. Bought a phablet when my smartphone was working. Bought a tablet when my laptop was working. Oops! Duplication in my life, no wonder my wireless modem network router is not working properly -- it is overloaded. So, because I go out and buy so many doodads, I need to now buy a new wireless modem network router. BTW, you need to know that affluenza is not only financially draining, it can also wear you down emotionally (think the agonising over which specific model of doodad), intellectually (think about the analytical research about what will best meet your needs) and physically (notice the bag is heavier and, maybe, it's time to entertain the idea of a new bag).
Arrrgghhhhh.... Worse of all, I do not want to waste the working devices by throwing them away... so I keep them.... Now, what does this make me? Think what can possibly be worse than someone who has affluenza? An affluenza sufferer who HOARDS.
Okay, I need to change for the better... Decrease my hoarding... then attempt to sneeze hard at all the new gadgets that I want BUT DO NOT NEED. I am struggling with the concept of want because it can easily be changed to a need. BTW, I can always convince myself that I need a thermomix to be healthy. If I do not use it, I am sure that the pressure cooker in the garage (which I had only bought two months ago) can use the company. See, no waste!?
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