"I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist" -TF Baker
What is that thrill of shopping about? The deeply rooted habit of hunting and gathering, and the brain reward we get, when we find whatever we are looking for, is part of it. If we are going to a physical store, rather than ordering online, we may shop for the social reward of seeing and being seen, rubbing auras with others, and the little dab of respect you get when you belly up to the counter and bathe in a few moments of the clerks' polite attention to you.
Perhaps you may even be physically touched, ever so lightly, in the interaction, by the person who takes your money. If so you will feel better about the exchange later, even if you don't remember if you were touched. In today's public world, the fastest easiest way to get this attention and love, really, is to shop!
If we order online, we still get a buzz. The thrill peaks, it has been reported, after ordering but before the item arrives.
Then there is the sought after item itself, the ostensible object. Lately I have been noticing this is maybe not even the most important part. What if we already had everything we needed?
Well then of course we could for example collect photos, or hunt for birds to add to the life list, or experiences of whatever kind we might seek, and so on.
But lately I have just been wanting to shop, and at the same time I've been wanting for nothing. At least not feeling the need for anything new, other than daily food. Just the bare desire to shop. With a side feeling of sufficientcy.
Feeling like you have enough is an interesting feeling. I understand this feeling is not a luxury everyone gets to have, nessesarily. Many people just don't have their needs being met. Others have much more worldly wealth than I, but ironically, it just doesn't feel like it is enough to them.
It is obviously about attitude once you have your basic needs being met. I have wandered around the world with gratitude and amazement for many years. Did this cause my feeling of having enough, or does feeling like I have sufficient means to meet my needs cause me to go around feeling amazed and grateful?
In any case, I still wander online and look for things that pleased me in the past, and fantasize about shopping. Even though I don't need more. I just remember the thrill of seeking and finding.
...And then usually I just sit with it, my silly longing, and my gratitude for having enough already!
I wonder how this urge will express in a world where there really is enough for everyone, even in practice. My prediction is we will still want to do the trading game. We will seek novelty and experience in more elegant and human ways, like one to one sessions, handmade arts, and fresh made food. I think we will always collect something, if only memories. Generally we will seek interactions less involved with basic survival, and more about learning and helping and sharing in more individualized and personal ways.
(The photos are from a photo collection of the leaves I saw on the ground on my morning walk today.)
