How Greed and Mass Production Are Destroying the Quality of Our World
I’m 30 years old and about to get married. Living with your parents at this age might seem unusual to you, but where I come from, it’s completely normal. That being said, I was really excited about decorating my own space—my own home—the way I had always envisioned.
Unfortunately, that excitement didn’t last long. I had always dreamed of high-quality, timeless furniture—real wood, not the cheap, cardboard-like IKEA pieces or the thin wood-effect laminate covering compressed wood shavings. I wasn’t just looking for aesthetics or the lovely natural scent of real wood—its durability and eco-consciousness were just as important to me. I wasn’t looking for trendy, disposable furniture. I wanted my home to grow with me.
But despite my search, I couldn’t find what I was looking for. Almost every mainstream furniture store sells the same cheap, mass-produced, identical-looking pieces—and they’re priced far beyond their worth! Many of these stores market themselves as “luxury” brands, but when I hear luxury, I expect quality. Yet, today, luxury and quality have become almost completely unrelated. I was willing to pay more for well-crafted furniture, but even with a higher budget, my options were surprisingly limited. And the few real wood, high-quality pieces I found? Their prices were beyond luxury—they were astronomical. You could buy a Tesla for the price of a single wardrobe. Imagine that—one wardrobe costing as much as a Tesla.
When my grandparents got married, they weren’t wealthy; they were a working-class, lower-middle-class family. Yet, I remember my grandmother’s furniture—some of it still stands strong today. Solid wood, durable paint, built to last. It amazes me that back then, when resources were scarcer and industrial production was far less advanced, people could still afford well-made furniture at reasonable prices—and manufacturers could still turn a profit. But it’s not just furniture; clothing has suffered the same decline.
My grandmother often tells me that when she was younger, even their underwear was tailored. They would buy fabric, take it to a tailor, and have exactly what they wanted made—including undergarments. Synthetic fabrics were rare, and people had the option to choose high-quality materials. Not everyone opted for tailored clothing, but at least they had a choice. Now, so-called luxury brands sell faux leather, faux silk, and synthetic fabrics for absurd prices. Don’t get me wrong—when I was younger, I too dreamed of owning designer handbags and clothes. But now? It just doesn’t make sense. Why would I spend thousands on a piece of synthetic material?
I’ve come to realize that we’ve reached a point where we can’t even find high-quality, well-fitting clothing that suits our style, even if we are willing to pay extra—sometimes more than necessary. Think about it: just 60 years ago, going to a tailor, getting measured, and having clothes made specifically for your body type and personal style was a standard procedure. Now? Good luck finding a decent tailor. And even if you do, they’ve already been shaped by the modern age—either they don’t understand what you want, or they do but simply refuse to do it. “That’s not how it’s done,” they say. “That can’t be handmade, that’s a machine process.” They take shortcuts, yet they have no shame in demanding a ridiculous amount of money.
This decline in quality and the rise in prices reveal one undeniable truth: as human beings, we have become increasingly greedy. What frustrates me even more is that these so-called luxury brands produce cheap, low-quality items at the expense of their workers—underpaid, overworked laborers at the bottom, while those at the top can’t find enough space to store their wealth. And yet, we, as consumers, keep supporting this system.
I don’t get it. How did we become so obedient? How did we turn into mindless sheep, accepting everything without question? Why don’t we resist? Why don’t we say, Enough is enough? These brands, factories, and corporations have exploited natural resources, polluted the planet, and amassed unfathomable wealth while paying their workers next to nothing. And after all that, what do they offer us? Cheap, disposable products.
It’s time we demand better.
