I've been thinking recently about the state of satisfaction in my life and how it relates to consumption. I am apt to believe that Satisfaction itself is not possible, or to put it another way, the discourse that surrounds satisfaction treats it as an event rather than a process. That one can achieve an eternal satisfaction through consumption (whether in the sense of goods or food) is the fundamental message inherent in American culture. But perhaps satisfaction is a process which constantly engages wanting. The act of becoming satisfied rests heavily on desire; you need a desire to become fulfilled in order to feel satisfied. Or at least that is what American pop culture seems to communicate.
I think we, as a culture, are too quick to dismiss the role of desire in satisfaction. I don't necessarily have a conclusion or resolution to this blog, but I am going to try and pay more attention to my own desires and satisfaction for the moment. With my increasing unhappiness at work, I have become concerned about the state of satisfaction in my life. And with a hopeful return to school, and a subsequent relocation and downsize, my relationship between desire and consumption may become problematic...
:intermission:
I believe my discomfort may stem from the systematic privileging of satisfaction over desire. Desire is something that is supposed to be instantly eradicated, and doing so brings about satisfaction.
However, there is no such state as Satisfied, only a relationship between the two (or possibly more) feelings. I am inclined to believe that, if desire brings about satisfaction, satisfaction brings about desire.
A Lacanian perspective would most likely conclude that desire is an inherent symptom of our fragmented identities, therefore satisfaction is only temporal. Soon we recall the fragmentation and manifest our desires in another fashion.
I am not completely satisfied with this analysis. I dislike abating humanity down to a never-ending consumption machine, always on the prowl for its next fleeting fix. I want, instead, a manifesto for a simpler, more meaningful life. And I intend to get one, even if I know not from where.
Could it be possible to assuage this destructive relationship by being more intentional about which desires get satisfied and why?
Could it, chicken?
I am well aware that I over-consume in many ways. Possessions, food, behaviors, activities, etc. I am also well aware that my level of tolerance for satisfaction has substantially increased over the last few years. Perhaps the process of denying desires can bring about a satisfaction in the same way indulging can. I am reminded of two articles I heard on NRP, one about a man who decided to reduce his possessions from 1,000 to 500, and the other about a clinic in Germany (I think), which encourages fasting as a means of spiritual guidance. I am strongly tempted to try out both, although frightened at what each would uncover.
I think we, as a culture, are too quick to dismiss the role of desire in satisfaction. I don't necessarily have a conclusion or resolution to this blog, but I am going to try and pay more attention to my own desires and satisfaction for the moment. With my increasing unhappiness at work, I have become concerned about the state of satisfaction in my life. And with a hopeful return to school, and a subsequent relocation and downsize, my relationship between desire and consumption may become problematic...
:intermission:
I believe my discomfort may stem from the systematic privileging of satisfaction over desire. Desire is something that is supposed to be instantly eradicated, and doing so brings about satisfaction.
However, there is no such state as Satisfied, only a relationship between the two (or possibly more) feelings. I am inclined to believe that, if desire brings about satisfaction, satisfaction brings about desire.A Lacanian perspective would most likely conclude that desire is an inherent symptom of our fragmented identities, therefore satisfaction is only temporal. Soon we recall the fragmentation and manifest our desires in another fashion.
I am not completely satisfied with this analysis. I dislike abating humanity down to a never-ending consumption machine, always on the prowl for its next fleeting fix. I want, instead, a manifesto for a simpler, more meaningful life. And I intend to get one, even if I know not from where.
Could it be possible to assuage this destructive relationship by being more intentional about which desires get satisfied and why?
Could it, chicken?
I am well aware that I over-consume in many ways. Possessions, food, behaviors, activities, etc. I am also well aware that my level of tolerance for satisfaction has substantially increased over the last few years. Perhaps the process of denying desires can bring about a satisfaction in the same way indulging can. I am reminded of two articles I heard on NRP, one about a man who decided to reduce his possessions from 1,000 to 500, and the other about a clinic in Germany (I think), which encourages fasting as a means of spiritual guidance. I am strongly tempted to try out both, although frightened at what each would uncover.