Emacity: A Desire to Buy Things - English

On consumerism, the Diderot Effect, and some awakening thoughts to break out of the trap

Before I quit my corporate job, I was a shopping addict. Part of my wardrobe looked like the closet of a movie star, part like that of a girl in her twenties, and part like that of an executive. I would shop for clothes according to my mood.

I had gained some weight and couldn't lose it, but I was assembling a whole wardrobe to prepare for the days when I would be thinner. Needless to say, those days never came. I was unconsciously spending the money I earned on things I convinced myself I needed, but after a short period of satisfaction, I was on my way to new goals.

Photo by __ drz __ on Unsplash

Because of my unconscious shopping sessions, I was never able to save enough money. All the money that should have been in my savings account was blown out in stores, coffee shops, and restaurants.

The worst thing is that I was well aware that it was a vicious circle; it was a trap, and I wasn't attempting to break out of it, even though I knew I was in it, because it helped me feel satisfied in my stressful and unfree life at that time. Like any addiction, it was very relaxing, even if it was short-lived. This situation is called hedonic treadmill.

Today, I'm not the same person I was back then. I don't need to buy anything new to be satisfied. I don't have any emotional voids. I have goals in which I wholeheartedly believe, and I have a job that I enjoy doing every day. I get up without difficulty in the morning and go about my business. There are challenges; there should be challenges, but I can simply move forward without the need for an addiction.

I knew I was not alone in my shopping addiction; there are millions of individuals who live this way, but I had no idea there was a term for it. Now I know.

Emacity is a Latin origin English word that means to enjoy shopping very much. Its etymological root is emacitas, which has the same meaning.

Philosophers Can Also Be Trapped: Poor Diderot

There is also a story dating back to the 17th century about the desire to buy when you don't need to: The Diderot Effect

Although the French philosopher Denis Diderot was well known for being the co-founder of one of the best encyclopedias of his time, he was not a wealthy man; in fact, he was poor. One day, however, the situation changed when Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia, learned of Diderot's situation and offered to buy his library. With the Empress paying Diderot a large sum of money, the famous philosopher also became rich.

Diderot bought himself a scarlet dressing gown. He liked his new clothes very much and thought they suited him very well. So he decided that the other old and poor furniture in his house should match his new and elegant dressing gown and the person wearing it, and he spent his money to buy other, more luxurious things that he didn't really need. As he spent money on new carpets, statues, and furniture to match his scarlet dressing gown, his money dwindled. At last, he realized his silly situation as an unconscious consumer, but it was too late.

Diderot described this irrational psychological state in his essay Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown and this effect came to light for the first time.

Diderot says in his essay:

I was the absolute master of my old robe. I have become the slave of the new one.

…

My friends, keep your old friends. My friends, fear the touch of wealth. Let my example teach you a lesson. Poverty has its freedoms; opulence has its obstacles.

It is bitter to see that the impact of today's capitalist order, which survives on the individual's continued consumption, was understood in the 1700s and yet we still fall into its traps. On the other hand, it is also positive that the devastating effects of excessive and unnecessary consumption on the earth and the climate are becoming more recognized and cared about by new generations.

Notes & Reads:

When it comes to understanding the collective concept of ‘work and consumerism’ in the light of psychology and sociology, Juliet Schor, a professor at Boston College, is a perfect choice to read. She has many books on the negative effects of overconsumption and the pathetic situation of modern Diderots of our time.

In an interview discussing her book Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth she says,

"When people work too many hours they tend to feel deprived and they use consumption to reward themselves, whether that be for an expensive vacation, kitchen remodel or a bigger diamond. The downturn has actually opened up space for people to think about different trajectories for their consumption expectations over their lifetimes."

Her books are:

• The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure (1992)

• Sustainable Economy for the 21st Century, (1995, 1999)

• The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need (1999)

• Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture (2005)

• Plenitude: The New Economics of True Wealth (2010)

• Toward a Plenitude Economy (2015)

• After the Gig (2020)

The second good-to-read is our negihbor from Substack,

The Elysian

, by

Elle Griffin

who thinks and writes about better capitalism, democracy, and humanity. She is also interested in utopias, which are the peak vision of humanity. Two of her remarkable essays are: What is the point of profit? and What if it's not cool to be a bad capitalist anymore? I would recommend that you take some time to read her; at the very least, her thoughts will spark new ones, whether you agree or disagree with them.

Have a great week and weekend.

Till next week,

— Gulsun

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