why is 2012 not likely to be an easy year?. i wish i could say that 2012 will be a kinder, gentler...

Why is 2012 not likely to be an easy year?


I wish I could say that 2012 will be a kinder, gentler year. However, our outdated economic systems are in need of transformations, investments need to be found for industries, but the resulting difficulties are likely to be around for some time. There are hopeful signs. We are in a period of radical redesign across all sectors – from finding alternative energy sources, to the financial sector tentatively exploring impact investing, to multinational food companies promising 100% sustainable production. Experimenting with different models of doing business is occurring in all corners of the globe.


I wish I could say that 2012 will be a kinder, gentler year. However, our outdated economic systems are in need of transformations, investments need to be found for industries, but the resulting difficulties are likely to be around for some time.


I wish I could say that 2012 will be a kinder, gentler year. However, our outdated economic systems are in need of transformations, investments need to be found for industries, but the resulting difficulties are likely to be around for some time.

2012 will probably not be an easy year because the economic systems are old and need to be changed, moreover industries need bigger investments.

What positive changes are happening?


I wish I could say that 2012 will be a kinder, gentler year. However, our outdated economic systems are in need of transformations, investments need to be found for industries, but the resulting difficulties are likely to be around for some time. There are hopeful signs. We are in a period of radical redesign across all sectors – from finding alternative energy sources, to the financial sector tentatively exploring impact investing, to multinational food companies promising 100% sustainable production. Experimenting with different models of doing business is occurring in all corners of the globe.


There are hopeful signs. We are in a period of radical redesign across all sectors – from finding alternative energy sources, to the financial sector tentatively exploring impact investing, to multinational food companies promising 100% sustainable production. Experimenting with different models of doing business is occurring in all corners of the globe.

Some of the positive changes are the search for alternative energy sources as well as socially and environmentally responsible investment.

How did the consumer behave in the post-war period?

The consumer, too, is reacting. In the West, our focus as consumers has been about having more – having more in a way that would require the consumption of several Earths. The focus on cheapness over everything else is a condition that emerged after the Second World War. Before then, value reigned – value meant a higher price, but it also meant quality workmanship and durability.

How did the consumer behave in the post-war period?

The consumer, too, is reacting. In the West, our focus as consumers has been about having more – having more in a way that would require the consumption of several Earths. The focus on cheapness over everything else is a condition that emerged after the Second World War. Before then, value reigned – value meant a higher price, but it also meant quality workmanship and durability.

The post war consumer was primarily interested in consuming more and more and spending less and less.

In what way have consumer attitudes changed recently?


A recent study by Young and Rubicam, which tracks 750,000 consumers in 50 countries every year for 17 years, identified the biggest development in consumer attitudes that they have ever seen – one they believe is here to stay. In the US, they see Americans "returning to original American virtues – faith, creativity, hard work, saving, community and more – in order to build new lives of purpose and connection". Consumers are beginning to reject "cheap and more" as they search for a better balance in their lives.

http://www.yr.com/


In the US, they see Americans "returning to original American virtues – faith, creativity, hard work, saving, community and more – in order to build new lives of purpose and connection". Consumers are beginning to reject "cheap and more" as they search for a better balance in their lives.

Americans are less interested in consuming more for less and are returning to traditional values of hard work, saving and community.

What are young people particularly interested in?


This development applies to all demographics, but I see it most clearly expressed by young people in their twenties, who are looking for what they call "authenticity", opportunities to get away from hyper-consumerism and make jam in their kitchens, find cool clothes in second-hand shops, understand the origin of the stuff they buy and spend their nights out listening to live music.


This development applies to all demographics, but I see it most clearly expressed by young people in their twenties, who are looking for what they call "authenticity", opportunities to get away from hyper-consumerism and make jam in their kitchens, find cool clothes in second-hand shops, understand the origin of the stuff they buy and spend their nights out listening to live music.

Young people are looking for ways to move away from hyper-consumerism such as buying things second-hand or making things themselves.

Why do we feel the need to consume?


In 2012 we need to fight the instincts that make us want to consume more. We will always have the urge to consume more than we need, but recognising this as a problem is the first step on the way to recovery. Our desire to consume stems from our stone age instincts. There are four main reasons why we consume: to meet basic needs (fuel, food, transport), to hoard (shoes, books, games), to stimulate ourselves (cheesecake, gorgeous clothes, pornography), and to display status (fashion, big car, big house). These motives made our ancestors want the things that were good for them in a world of scarcity, giving them more offspring, on average, than those who didn't have the desire to consume more than they needed. However, in the modern world these ancient motives have got us into trouble.


In 2012 we need to fight the instincts that make us want to consume more. We will always have the urge to consume more than we need, but recognising this as a problem is the first step on the way to recovery. Our desire to consume stems from our stone age instincts. There are four main reasons why we consume: to meet basic needs (fuel, food, transport), to hoard (shoes, books, games), to stimulate ourselves (cheesecake, gorgeous clothes, pornography), and to display status (fashion, big car, big house).

We feel the need to consume because of our primordial instinct to secure basic necessities, to accumulate goods, to enjoy pleasure, and show off what we have.

For what reason did our ancestors want to have more?


In 2012 we need to fight the instincts that make us want to consume more. We will always have the urge to consume more than we need, but recognising this as a problem is the first step on the way to recovery. Our desire to consume stems from our stone age instincts. There are four main reasons why we consume: to meet basic needs (fuel, food, transport), to hoard (shoes, books, games), to stimulate ourselves (cheesecake, gorgeous clothes, pornography), and to display status (fashion, big car, big house). These motives made our ancestors want the things that were good for them in a world of scarcity, giving them more offspring, on average, than those who didn't have the desire to consume more than they needed. However, in the modern world these ancient motives have got us into trouble.


These motives made our ancestors want the things that were good for them in a world of scarcity, giving them more offspring, on average, than those who didn't have the desire to consume more than they needed. However, in the modern world these ancient motives have got us into trouble.

Ancestors that had a strong desire to consume had more offspring than those that didn’t.

How do global communications affect consumption?

In the last few hundred years we've used our clever brains to invent incredible technologies that can gratify our every desire. We've filled the world with ever cheaper products, bringing a high quality of life and endless goodies within the reach of ever more people. While vast numbers of people still have not even met their basic needs, others, mostly living in the rich world, consume to self-stimulate, acquire loads of stuff and gain status by displaying their goodies. Global communications mean that the rich get to show off to a huge audience and, not surprisingly, many people want what they have. The result is that we're consuming at an exponentially increasing rate.

How do global communications affect consumption?

Global communications mean that the rich get to show off to a huge audience and, not surprisingly, many people want what they have. The result is that we're consuming at an exponentially increasing rate.

Global communications give the rich an opportunity to show what they have and the result is common people want to possess the same things.

In what way is hyper-consumerism not a global phenomenon?

In the last few hundred years we've used our clever brains to invent incredible technologies that can gratify our every desire. We've filled the world with ever cheaper products, bringing a high quality of life and endless goodies within the reach of ever more people. While vast numbers of people still have not even met their basic needs, others, mostly living in the rich world, consume to self-stimulate, acquire loads of stuff and gain status by displaying their goodies. Global communications mean that the rich get to show off to a huge audience and, not surprisingly, many people want what they have. The result is that we're consuming at an exponentially increasing rate.

In what way is hyper-consumerism not a global phenomenon?

While vast numbers of people still have not even met their basic needs, others, mostly living in the rich world, consume to self-stimulate, acquire loads of stuff and gain status by displaying their goodies.

Hyper-consumerism is mostly a privilege of the West, while huge numbers of people are living without basic necessities.

Give an example of how a reduction in consumption can improve the situation?


However, consuming less would also mean a loss of employment opportunities (and basic food on the table for many families world-wide) for millions surely? Not necessarily. Perhaps if we consumed fewer mass-produced commodities this would open up employment opportunities for local craftspeople and artisans. Consuming less also offers up an opportunity to try and find employment with a net social / environmental positive impact, or alternatively to stay in a well -paid job and divert wages to charitable organisations. So, 2012 will continue to be a time of turmoil, and we will continue to be depressed and angered by the rapid deterioration of the political and economic systems around us, but we can be hopeful.


However, consuming less would also mean a loss of employment opportunities (and basic food on the table for many families world-wide) for millions surely? Not necessarily. Perhaps if we consumed fewer mass-produced commodities this would open up employment opportunities for local craftspeople and artisans. Consuming less also offers up an opportunity to try and find employment with a net social / environmental positive impact, or alternatively to stay in a well -paid job and divert wages to charitable organisations.

Reducing hyper-consumerism would reduce ass production and result in more work opportunities for local companies.