During World War II, Pacific Islanders observed Allied forces receiving supplies from aircraft and mimicked their behaviors—building runways, wearing uniforms, and performing drills—believing these rituals would summon more cargo. The rituals were symbolic, a misunderstanding of the systems behind the cargo being delivered, as if by magic from the sky.
Mass consumerism shares striking similarities with the Cargo Cults of the Pacific Islands, which emerged post-World War II. Folks are queuing up for the latest iPhone, chasing Black Friday deals, and maxing out their credit cards. Just the other day, as we were driving up I-45, we witnessed a line of people snaking nearly completely around the Game Stop waiting for their chance to preorder a new Nintendo Switch 2 for $450.
“Are these things really better than the things I already have? Or am I just trained to be dissatisfied with what I have now?” ~ Chuck Palahniuk
It’s as if society is trapped by the belief that acquiring more stuff brings status, happiness, or meaning, despite evidence that material excess does exactly the opposite. Is mass consumerism retarding human evolution as it anchors humanity to material pursuits instead of intellectual and spiritual growth? Is consumerism becoming the dominant cultural paradigm, stifling innovation, critical thinking, and revolutionary ideas?
Luxury cars, designer clothes, and tech gadgets are imbued with near-sacred value; think of Apple’s almost spiritual marketing or the cultural obsession with the latest “must-have” stuff. It looks a lot like the Cargo Cults’ deification of cargo, where the object overshadows the systems (labor and resources), with the Island Cultists attributing supernatural significance to these goods, unaware of the environmental costs to produce them.
Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like. ~ Will Rogers
Consumers believe buying more stuff will solve all their problems—happiness, insecurity, and even environmental issues. This faith ignores the reality of overconsumption driving inequality, ecological collapse, and psychological burnout. Islanders believed mimicking Western behaviors would yield endless cargo, completely misunderstanding the global economic system. Like those Cargo Cults, present-day consumers are disconnected from the underlying mechanics of finite resources and Chinese slave labor.
The “next big thing” (a new car, a better phone) mirrors the Cargo Cults’ anticipation of a utopian shift, yet the promise is perpetually deferred, keeping consumers in a cycle of wanting. Presently, it’s not the size of your savings account but your credit score that’s important. The majority of U.S. Households lack the savings they would need to weather adverse shocks in income and consumption. In fact, many of them have maxed out all their credit lines as well.
Consumerism prioritizes instant gratification over long-term growth. Instead of fostering critical thinking or innovation, it encourages passive consumption of trends, media, and products, which retards intellectual evolution by diverting cognitive resources to superficial pursuits. It also causes resource depletion, creating maladaptive conditions and stunting humanity’s ability to thrive long-term.
True happiness flows from the possession of wisdom and virtue and not from the possession of external goods. ~ Aristotle
The constant focus on materialism erodes empathy, community, and self-reflection, which drive human “evolution.” Just as islanders fixated on cargo over understanding global systems, consumers fixate on goods over questioning what is shaping their desires for those goods. Cargo Cults faded out as islanders integrated into the Great Wide World, but consumerism has a self-reinforcing, capitalistic growth culture embedded so deeply that it makes it much more difficult to “evolve” out of.
Mass consumerism mirrors the Cargo Cults in its ritualistic, quasi-religious devotion to material goods, promising transformation while obscuring the systems behind them. Both reflect a misplacement of faith that hinders progress. Consumerism’s shallow focus is crippling our intellectual, cultural and environmental advancement.
Breaking free from consumerism is challenging but possible. Here are a few practical possibilities to reduce its grip:
- Focus on experiences, relationships, and personal growth over material possessions. Ask yourself what truly brings bliss.
- Declutter your life by keeping only what serves a purpose or brings joy. Avoid impulse buys by waiting 24-48 hours before purchasing non-essentials.
- Unsubscribe from promotional emails, limit social media exposure, and use ad blockers. Recognize advertising as a dangerous tool designed to trigger desire.
- Save aggressively, avoid debt, and prioritize needs over wants.
- Buy from local, sustainable, and second-hand sources. Buy quality and resist the throwaway culture.
- Determine the triggers that drive your flavor of consumerism; uncover your patterns.
- Slow Down!
“To live fully, we must learn to use things and love people, and not love things and use people.” ~ John Powell