Is our appetite for ever more and cheaper goods part of
why we have an economic crisis? That’s the question and discussion that have
been generated recently in a newspaper column.
Shoppers want a bargain, and with the economic situation worsening, more and
more want to buy cheaper goods. But does this very act get us into trouble in
the first place?
There may be a tendency to equate cheap with bargain. We want more, and yet not
wanting to pay the price. However, have we noticed that the clothes that we buy
do not last two washes? The CD player that does not work after three months?
Drawers that do not close properly? What have we traded for? Quality, of course.
Fashion changes constantly, and nobody can catch up unless things are cheap, one
may reason, and since things are so cheap, there is less reluctance to throw
things out. In a global market, the cost of production has to be kept low for
competition. So, in recent years, more and more of cheaper goods are produced
and we keep throwing them away. And at what costs? Costs that cannot be
quantified, e.g. impact on the environment, working conditions.
Worse still, we have lost the ability to recognize and appreciate quality. Where
can we find quality these days even if we want to? Brand name? Price? Brand name
now equates more with prestige than reassurance of quality, and price indicates
more the ability of merchants to squeeze out of workers and consumers than the
true value of the merchandize. And without noticing, when quality is lost, we
try to compensate it through quantity.
We have to relearn the art of quality, of things well done, of appreciating
beauty beyond fashion, of recognizing true values. We may be surprised to find
that with quality, we can be happier with much less.
Cultivating the art of quality within ourselves and in our actions is at the
centre of philosophy in the classical manner, which shows us the way to a
fulfilling and sustainable life, respectful of the community and its
environment.
