Adapting to an environment of plenty (plenty for now) is definitely unusual for most of humanity. Probably not much in the book that followers of the blog don't already know or suspect.
Early Retirement Extreme Forums » Resources & Recommended Reading
We Have Met The Enemy: Self-Control in an Age of Excess
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Posted 2 years ago #
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Much in the book which most American's don't know or suspect though.
It looks like the book could be helpful in talking to our friends and family, co-workers and blog readers, or whatever, about saving money, physical health, and all our other excesses.I just read a statistic that says only 7% of people who try to stop smoking succeed.
Of those that do, however, 90% stopped cold turkey.Which implies to me that it is more a matter of mind-set than it is the actual physical withdrawal itself. The people who go cold-turkey go through the strongest withdrawal, yet are less likely to give in than those who use something to quell cravings.
Whether its smoking, dieting, or impulse buying, will-power may come more than anything in acknowledging that it will be uncomfortable and powering through it, rather than finding tricks to make it more tolerable.
Come to think of it, that reminds me of bootcamp...
Posted 2 years ago # -
I quit smoking when I starting laying awake at night thinking about how I would die early and leave my wife alone. I don't know how much more motivation a person needs.
I will have to check that book out, it sounds very interesting. The psychology of gratification is a neat topic.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Maybe there needs to be an Alcoholics Anonymous program developed for overconsumption. When does an overconsumer hit bottom and stops denying that they have a problem?
At that point, they can start repeating to themselves: "None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free."
Posted 2 years ago # -
@Oz, The strange thing seems to be that a decent number of people think that I have the problem. The suggestion being that I should have to go to an "underconsumer's anonymous" type program.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@Mo, majorities have almost always thought of minorities as having a problem that needed curing so they would be more like the majority.
Look at religious/sexual/race/lifestyle minorities around us - they all face issues with a majority that thinks they are wrong and should change. It should not surprise us at all if this now extends to underconsumers like us, given consumerism has become that other opiate of the masses.
Posted 2 years ago #
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