You know you’re really getting somewhere when similar words sweep through the lexicon to describe related phenomena. In case anyone is wondering how the growing use of the words “postconsumers” and “unconsumers” might intertwine in our culture, they fit together like hand and glove while being distinctly different.
Unconsumers are primarily concerned with what happens after all acts of acquisition. This includes making things last, finding new uses for them and, when they’re used up, disposing of them in the most responsible way. Postconsumers care about all of this of course, but the primary emphasis is on moving beyond society’s addictive consumerism by spreading the satisfaction of enough for today. In a cynical country that makes fun of 50 ways to reuse tin foil, there is upbeat mainstream appeal in being able to actually get satisfied for a while, whether it’s with a little or a lot.
Moving beyond our society-wide addiction to “stuff” requires enormous psychological input to counter the pervasive More Is Not Enough disease and its stresses – time anxiety, money anxiety, social anxiety and environmental anxiety to name a few. Its acronym is MINE, which seems especially accurate! One of the best sources of this psychiatric expertise is American Mania: When More Is Not Enough by Peter C. Whybrow, M.D. So whether we’re speaking of postconsumers or unconsumers, there’s no doubt that all of our core values are being called upon during this era of crisis. Let’s continue to build community for the health, even survival, of people and the planet.
