Why We’ve Had Enough Stuff, is a fascinating lecture by James Wallman a trend forecaster. In his lecture Wallmen outlines the transition from our present day materialism to experientialism; two philosophical theories that deal with the human status. Materialism revolves around the idea that everything within our reality consists solely of physical mater and dictates even human thought. On the other hand experientialism describes experience as being the source of all knowledge. “Stuffocation” is a term Wallmen uses in his lecture that simply means we are being overwhelmed by physical things due to a life of materialism.
He asks the queston why, have we begun to have enough of stuff. Wallmen uses the perspective of different experts to answer this intriguing question. For example, a philosopher would say that we have had enough of stuff because of the status anxiety attributed to it. A psychologist would agree and extrapolate that mass production and mass consumption has lead to mass depression that is statistically proven, concluding that materialism actually makes us unwell. From a technological stand point, we are frankly in a position were we can have enough of stuff.
Wallmen goes on to look at the way trends move from the innovators into the majority; and talks about how he searched for innovation in the here and now for a replacement for materialism. Thus experientialism and its potential to solve the problem of stuffocation. He describes the people living this innovative life as experientialists and states “instead of looking for happiness and status in material goods, these experientialists are finding happiness, status and meaning in experiences instead” (Image of me and my boyfriend in Thailand, two years worth of saving for one month full of memories that I’ll have for a life time). Today there is evidence that this transition is well on its way. He backs this using a study by Ron Inglehart that began in 1970 and recorded that 80% of people where materialistic. Today the percentage is 50 which reveals a long term decline within society.
Social media has contributed in large part to this phenomenon for back in the day status was attributed to what you had. Now, with social media what we do has become far more captivating. Wallden then asks the question what will the audience do about materialism and its cluttered end result of stuffocation. He then concludes with simple steps on how to de-stuffocate, its importance and its benefits. Overall Wallmens lecture was fascinating and left me wanting to de-stuffocate my life and invest in an experience rich one.
The lecture and video were hosted and made by The RSA and can be viewed on their website at http://www.thersa.org/events/video/vision-videos/how-to-change-the-post-crash-economy or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUXqwMKmtfQ&feature=youtu.be. The RSA is an organization that is committed to finding and supporting innovations. Its name stands for the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.
