Thu 3rd Apr 2008 02:03AM
Shopping is an interesting human phenomenon. Since ancient times, people have always engaged in some form of shopping. It is relied upon as something designed to make our lives easier. While it may seem like a benign event, one that is a necessary part of our existence, there are definitely some potential dangers inherent in shopping.
One interesting example of these dangers is the fact that shopping is addictive. Going to the department store or mall carries with it a certain appeal. For some families, shopping is the event that brings them together on the weekend. Certainly more than one mother and daughter go shopping as a way to bond and learn more about each other. But the more a person goes shopping, the more they are drawn into the consumer mindset. This is a multifaceted and somewhat deceptively comfortable way to function in this world.
Product advertisements, to a large degree, are focused on the promotion of the ego. Through decades of research, companies have learned to not sell a product but instead sell a lifestyle. This creates a very unique mental process when someone goes shopping. As you walk through any store, whether you are shopping for a new toothbrush or a new dining set to match your sofa, you are looking for something that defines you as a person. Advertisers are privy to this, and key in on that idea to sell a product. So when you are shopping for that perfect pair of khakis, you can often become attached to a specific brand. If you can relate personally to not so much the products themselves but to the ideas they represent, you can very easily become a brand addict.
A byproduct of this is that you want to buy more and more of that brand every time you go shopping. While this may not be true for all things and for all people, the potential is certainly there. Therefore, it would be wise to become mindful of exactly what you are doing every time you go shopping. Are you buying something because you need it? Or, are you making a purchase because there is some idea or lifestyle that company is selling that you think will make you feel like a more complete person?
An interesting exercise for yourself would be to go into a store not to buy anything, but to simply witness your reaction to the products. Take a pen and paper and write down the brands you are drawn to. When you get home, try to think about each of those brands. Ask yourself, why did you choose them instead of the others? Write down the ideas those brands represent that you can relate to, and how heavily that weighed on your decision to choose them.
It is likely that if you do this exercise even once, it could change the way you view shopping for a very long time. Part of the reason that shopping is addictive is that many of us walk around with a metaphorical mirror in front of our faces. We are all so concerned with what we want, what we feel, what we need. This contributes in a significant way to the feelings of loneliness and exclusion so many people in our world are facing. While shopping can be fun and is a necessary part of our lives, filtering that experience with awareness and a little bit of attention can help to make it a valuable practice in self-improvement.
The original article is located at: Why Do People Like To Shop?