Minimalism versus Capitalism
The article, “The Original Affluent Society” raises questions regarding our concept of wealth and its dependence on the material “things” we often want in our possession to be considered accomplished. Typically, we view wealth as an amassment of material or substantial objects we feel that we need or that are resemblant of our success in life. Sahlin provides an example of an interaction between Laurens Van Der Post and the hunter group of Bushmen which exposes our general materialistic tendencies in comparison to the efficient way of life the Bushmen lead. Van de Post was “embarrassed” by his lack of aid he could give to the group because they were genuinely content and thriving from possessing much less than himself. He claimed it seemed that anything he could offer would almost hinder their way of life because of their insistence on minimizing their physical belongings. Not only do the Bushmen not have many possessions, but they do not want them because such excess of unnecessary items would only require extra care and attention to keep up.
The practice of minimalism is representative of the way in which hunters approach life and is based upon possessing genuine needs rather than succumbing to unnecessary wants. I believe modern society has swayed our perception of affluence and wealth into a capitalistic direction, fueling the unnecessary want for objects with little actual intrinsic value. Our society has convinced us that the accumulation of material objects will somehow fulfill us in comparison to others. Our tendency to associate wealth and affluence with the acquisition of objects only sets us up for comparison and competition between people with the same overall goals of existence. The modern association of minimalism with economic unintelligence stems solely from our society’s push towards advancement through capitalism.