The Materialism Trap

[Westside PUFAs]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk1i7UGBz1Q

 

[Ritchie]

I agree with her to a large extent, there are certain issues that are more complicated but we as a society definitely need to change our perspective and perceptions and what we value. Even if we don't realise it on our own we will be forced to eventually and that may come sooner than we think. The way we as a society (vast majority) are living and how we perceive the world now more than ever is so warped and twisted out of proportion in so many ways. And once people start waking up to that it will snowball... I like the way she thinks, but damn this video she did about the dairy industry throws a spanner in the works for a peatarian :-? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI

 

[Integral]

I absolutely agree. Half the crap I used to obsessively worry about and wake up in the middle of the night about doesn't matter one iota! Like I wasted possibly as many as seven years of my life stuck in flight or flight because I thought I was chasing success. What I now know is I was chasing a slow inner death.

 

[milk_lover]

She is one beautiful woman with a big brain! I liked her affection and passion about those less privileged people. Her eyes filled with tears at the end of the video almost made me fall in love with her. I remember in college, I had an ethics class and we had a guy from Africa with us in the class. A white american male stood up and talked about poverty in Africa, but the african dude didn't like what he was hearing. He feels people in Africa are doing more than ok and happier than most americans even if some of them are poor in American standards.

Vegan alert, the beautiful woman loves cows and baby cows so she wouldn't drink their milk. Her video about dairy was well edited. I will stop drinking milk and I will let my bones break down to supply the much needed calcium. Vegetables and greens do not grow in our desert harsh environments. I am sure she will be happy for the animals regardless of what might happen to my health. She is that passionate! If milk were not a staple food in most of african nations, the kids she was talking about in her materialism video would have probably died sooner. But oh look all milk in the world follow the US dairy industry practices....

 

[Ritchie]

But oh look all milk in the world follow the US dairy industry practices....

Yes I think the issue is more with the dairy industry than actually drinking milk. Milk (be it cows, sheep, goat, etc) is undoubtedly an amazing source of food for humans. The problem is that unless you are lucky enough to own a bunch of cows that supply your milk, or live in a small community where your friend down the road has cows and can give you milk in exchange for something, the majority of us rely heavily on the dairy industry. And the way the industry treats cows, with very little regulation, is horrifically disgusting. However its a catch 22 because milk is so good for humans and since the dairy industry is such a massive money maker, and humans are extremely over populated, to supply need there are very little options. I don't know the answer to this but it definitely raises serious questions. Further, as a society that relies heavily on dairy for sustenance we have a surprising lack of appreciation and respect for the animal it comes from. IMO as humans we have an obligation to look after, respect and care for the animals we get our sustenance from. Traditional cultures have always highly valued and respected the animal they ate the most of, some even worshipping them and their forms or elevating them to godlike status. This seems rational since life becomes so intertwined between the people and the animals they eat, or in this case get milk from. Videos such as the one on dairy from this women illuminate how far we have come from a simple appreciation and respect for the animals we get our ongoing life and energy from. I see nothing wrong with eating dairy, and nothing wrong with killing animals for food, as long as those animals are respected and cared for during their life, and live happily and freely while they are alive. Life consumes other life to live, thats just how it is, and there is a beautiful harmony to that. But the dairy industry in our society is definitely not within the realms one would describe as harmonious. Obviously the ideal would be to have small communities with local cows that are raised respectfully and milk taken from them respectfully but that is virtually impossible in todays world. But still the questions definitely need to be asked and the industry more exposed so that people are aware of what is happening, maybe then things can evolve..

 

[James_001]

I absolutely agree. Half the crap I used to obsessively worry about and wake up in the middle of the night about doesn't matter one iota! Like I wasted possibly as many as seven years of my life stuck in flight or flight because I thought I was chasing success. What I now know is I was chasing a slow inner death.

How did you get out of the flight or fight state?

 

[DaveFoster]

Houses will disappear one day; this is true. So will that clear skin that you bury in make-up. Just because entropy exists doesn't mean we shouldn't try to maximize ourselves.

 

[Integral]

post 117500

I absolutely agree. Half the crap I used to obsessively worry about and wake up in the middle of the night about doesn't matter one iota! Like I wasted possibly as many as seven years of my life stuck in flight or flight because I thought I was chasing success. What I now know is I was chasing a slow inner death.

How did you get out of the flight or fight state?

Ray Peat inspired nutrition was very helpful in restoring a lot of my health, then the constant worry I was dealing with had to be fixed the only way it can be - by providing an environment and living structure where the amygdala can be reset.

 

[Tarmander]

As a beautiful woman in our society which idolizes beauty so much, she has a lot of power to influence how people think. Just look at the comment section on that video.

I think she falls into the main trap that a lot of well meaning people fall into, and that is a basic misunderstanding of human nature and what really drives us. In the long term, you just cannot shame people into acting morally. She "called" out some famous people for their indulgence. Does she hope to make them feel bad about their lifestyle, and change?

Her basic message could be boiled down to the commonly heard table adage "eat your dinner, there are starving children in Africa/China." If anyone grew up with that, you know how it eventually creates anger and resentment. The child feels bad about its nature and its tendencies, and feels forced to do something it does not want to do. It is our nature to consume and consume without worry. Look at nature and you will not see any animal conserving anything. It could be the last Gazelle on the planet and that cheetah will nom nom nom it right up.

I am not against conservation or living simply by any means. But so many of these people advocating it use shame, guilt, and authoritarianism. I get the feeling they really hate and try to deny their own human spirit.

 

[charlie]

 

[michael94]

post 117521 As a beautiful woman in our society which idolizes beauty so much, she has a lot of power to influence how people think. Just look at the comment section on that video.

I think she falls into the main trap that a lot of well meaning people fall into, and that is a basic misunderstanding of human nature and what really drives us. In the long term, you just cannot shame people into acting morally. She "called" out some famous people for their indulgence. Does she hope to make them feel bad about their lifestyle, and change?

Her basic message could be boiled down to the commonly heard table adage "eat your dinner, there are starving children in Africa/China." If anyone grew up with that, you know how it eventually creates anger and resentment. The child feels bad about its nature and its tendencies, and feels forced to do something it does not want to do. It is our nature to consume and consume without worry. Look at nature and you will not see any animal conserving anything. It could be the last Gazelle on the planet and that cheetah will nom nom nom it right up.

I am not against conservation or living simply by any means. But so many of these people advocating it use shame, guilt, and authoritarianism. I get the feeling they really hate and try to deny their own human spirit.

Yes and ironically I think a lot of her message attempts to feed the ego that is fueled by the same thing as materialism, namely stress ( poor biological functioning and rejecting your true nature is stressful ). It is the socially acceptable thing to say you should value children in Africa or animals the same as yourself and close relatives/friends. The reality is no one operates that way but it is social status suicide to highlight it. That's why this video rings hollow for me...she attempts to drive home the problem of materialism by appealing to desire for social acceptance.

 

[Tarmander]

post 117523

 

[Forsythia]

Although I agree with some of what she says and she is very well spoken, she should just tell us how she feels....she should not tell me how I should feel. I can decide for myself, I don't need her to tell me. Although many people in our society are overly materialistic by her standard, this is not all a negative. For instance, decorating our homes is an expression of ourselves and is an artistic outlet for many. Creating a comfortable space for our families is a personal decision. She may not see value in it (at the moment), but that does not give her the right to say none of us should see value in it. She is just another person who thinks they are right and everyone else is wrong. Has she given away all her money to the poor? I'm betting not, otherwise how does she afford haircuts and highlights (completely unnecessary), where she lives (she could find a cheaper space), the computer she is using to film her videos (why doesn't she sell her equipment and give the money to the poor). She is wailing about all the people who are dying, yet think of all the money she spends on all that makeup she is wearing (to hide her very bad skin). The jobs many of us have and the taxes many of us pay sends billions of dollars to poor countries (the mess the world is in is not due to a lack of money but due to politics, but she is not ready to understand this). Just one more hypocrite who wants to examine the behaviour of other people without having the ability to understand she can only control her own behaviour. STOP TELLING ME HOW I SHOULD THINK AND FEEL. Don't tell me what I should live for. I have not been sucked into anything. I have not completely lost myself. I choose. My choice.

 

[milk_lover]

post 117656 makeup she is wearing (to hide her very bad skin)

Oh snap I had f.lux on and I couldn't see her skin first time. She does indeed have a bad skin second time viewing the video, probably due to her vegan restrictive diet with all the omegas she consumes on a daily basis (she has a video about them on her channel). Westside Pufa likes to post youtube videos of vegetarian/vegan skinny boobless men and women, I've noticed that recently. Nothing wrong with that as I enjoy watching them. This girl is the milder version of the free banana girl who is extremely judgmental and authoritarian, and she thinks she knows it all. If you want a laugh, check her out on youtube.