Don't Buy These Myths

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A gradual shift to saving would give companies time to develop new customers and greater efficiencies. People who quit spending as much would probably want to work less, which would keep the unemployment rate down. On the other hand, growth and productivity would slow, which would worsen the United States' competitive position in the globalized worldóand that, Schor says, would be 'the most significant effect of a shift to less consumerism.'

But, as the world's leader, can't we afford to take risks? And can't we figure out how to compensate for productivity lossesóthrough greater efficiency and heavier government investment in education, research, and developmentóas postmaterialist countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands have done? Schor claims that the United States is mostly to blame for creating an international competitive structure that now has even us struggling valiantly to keep pace.

'Throughout Europe, people are wondering whether the globalization of consumer markets isn't proceeding too rapidly, with too little thought,' she writes. 'They're worried that they will not be able to maintain their quality of life in a world where making as much money as possible has become the reigning religion. And they are trying to find another way, a model of a decently functioning economy coexisting with a decent cultural and daily life experience. Isn't it time Americans started asking some of the same questions?'

MYTH #11 NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE, SO LET'S JUST GO SHOPPING

So how do we deliver ourselves from our obsession with stuff? There is no dearth of solutions being bandied about; the challenge is figuring out which of them will work, long-term, not only for inviduals but for society as a whole.

First, says Schor, we need to rein in desire: Stay away from malls and avoid catalogs if you must, and when you buy, go for quality rather than novelty. Do the SubZero fridge and Coach bag really project your distinctive personality when everyone you know has them, too? Make exclusivity uncool. Learn to share: Do you and your neighbor each need a lawn mower? And could you start lending libraries for tools, toys, or other products?

Schor also recommends 'deconstructing the commercial system,' educating ourselves on the finer points of advertising and marketing communications and how they influence our decisions. We could avoid 'retail therapy' during stressful times and learn to substitute other more effective ways of soothing ourselves. We could join simplicity circles. We could also 'decommercialize our rituals': Special times don't have to be Hallmark holidays in order to be meaningful, and Santa Claus and his reindeer might appreciate a lighter load.

But individual action is not enough. 'Competitive consumption creates a 'prisoner's dilemma'óboth prisoners would be better off if neither one talked, but only the one who talks first gets a good deal from the prosecutor,' writes Schor. 'The well-being of everyone could be improved if there were a way to harmonize individual behavior and minimize the competitive incentives.' That implies government intervention.

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