• Aggravationstation@feddit.uk
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    14 days ago

    People want shiny new things. I’ve had relatives say stuff like “I bought this computer 2 years ago and it’s getting slower, it’s awful how you have to buy a new one so quickly.” I suggest things to improve it, most of which are free or very cheap and I’d happily do for them. But they just go out and buy a brand new one because that’s secretly what they wanted to do in the first place, they just don’t want to admit they’re that materialistic.

    • Tikiporch@lemmy.world
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      14 days ago

      Maybe your relatives don’t like you. It’s a petty but valid reason to ignore perfectly good advice.

    • kwomp2@sh.itjust.works
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      14 days ago

      People live in times of historic standstill. Society barely develops in a meaningful and hopeful way. Social relationships stagnate or decline. So they look for a feeling of progress and agency in participation in the market and consuming.

      They don’t realize this because they aren’t materialistic enough, in a sense that they don’t analyse their condition as a result of political and cultural configuration of their lives so that real agency seems unavailable