Are you suffering from AFFLUENZA?

AFFLUENZA, a modern-day epidemic. 

Affluenza: How to be successful and stay; a review of Oliver James's top-selling book

In his 1997 book Britain on the Couch, Oliver James asserted that "advanced capitalism makes money out of misery and dissatisfaction, as if it were encouraging us to fill up the psychic void with material goods". In this book, he explores the idea further, and it's terrific. A lot of readers, wanting to put their finger on why the affluent world they live in makes them so uneasy, will want to cheer. Here he is saying, loud and clear, that capitalism is bad for your mental health. And then he tells us why this is the case, and what we can do about it.

"My focus," explains James, "is on why we are so fucked up, not with dangling a false promise of the possibility of happiness." He's right - he doesn't offer false promises. By the time you've finished this book, you, too, might be feeling pretty pessimistic. As if we weren't already - as James points out, almost a quarter of Britons suffer "emotional distress". "Cards on the table," he says, "I contend that most emotional distress is best understood as a rational response to sick societies."

So why are we, in James's words, so fucked up? It's because of what James calls Selfish Capitalism, or, more catchily, "Affluenza", a virus-like condition that spreads through affluent countries. In these countries, notably English-speaking ones, people define themselves by how much money they make. They are also ruled by superficial values - how attractive they look, how famous they are, how much they are able to show off. As the sociologist Erich Fromm would have put it, we have moved from a state of "being" to a state of "having". Now we are obsessed with what other people think of us, and we've lost touch with our own feelings.

It's a wonderfully clear and cogent thesis. Affluenza, as defined by James, is clearly recognizable as our way of life. It spreads because it feeds on itself; when you try to make yourself feel better by buying a car, or bulking up in the gym, or spraying on a fake tan, or having a facelift, you actually make yourself feel worse, which makes you want to buy more things. As James points out, the virus has spread to television - "most programs," he says, "are now barely concealed advertisements for classes of product" - and education. James sees modern education as "little better than a systematic method for spreading the virus".

He travels the world, interviewing rich, unhappy people. There is Sam, a New York billionaire who lives alone in a vast apartment. Sam was addicted to heroin and now seems to be addicted to casual sex with young girls. He has, we are shown, pursued the goals of affluenza to their ultimate point. He can have anything he wants, but nothing satisfies him. James also meets the trophy wife of another fabulously rich man - she is addicted to shopping and cocaine, and he is often away from home. Their relationship is based on mutual contempt: she spends his money with vengeful spite; he pays her back with coldness and abuse.

Well, he's convinced me. So, what can be done to prevent affluenza from invading our lives?

The Solution to Affluenza

According to James, the antidote is simple: look inward, not outward. Don't be a sheep. Try to be "beautiful" rather than "attractive". Embrace the family. Don't see life as a competition. Don't watch too much TV. Simple, perhaps. But will it be enough? Maybe too vague?

Let's break it down into more "tangible" and "doable" steps:

Wikipedia defines affluenza as:

1.    A painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more;

2.    The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to “keep up with the Joneses”.

So if you find yourself trapped in a state of desperately desiring that shiny new SUV, imagining how it will change your life, propel you to new career heights and bag you the perfect boyfriend, here are a few tips to help you overcome the dreaded affluenza bug.

·         Tip #1 - Use what you have. Take a closer look at all you have already accumulated. There is still life in that old table. There are still good times to be had in last-year’s sundresses. Mining your own treasures and breathing new life into your existing possessions can provide immense gratification.

·         Tip #2 - Give it a year, or a season. Buying the latest fashions or technological innovation at the top of the market is for suckers. Late-adopters fork out less cash and benefit from more reliable versions. Let other people work out the kinks.

·         Tip #3 - Get one, give one. It’s all about balance. If you must buy something new, make space for it in your life by giving up something old. There will always be people who have more than you and there will always be people with less. Many people would love what you have. As you bring new items into your home, donate your old ones to Goodwill in equal measure.

·         Tip #4 – Ye olde savings jar. Try this for a month or two: every time you are tempted to make a new purchase on something you suspect you don’t really need, but dearly want, take the cash and stash it in an envelope, jar, or money market account. Tell yourself that at the end of the month, if you still need the item, then you can buy it. You may be shocked when you realize how so many magazines, pairs of shoes, or dinners-out can quickly add up to the price of a Caribbean holiday.

·         Tip # 5 – Your home is an evolution. Do you find yourself looking around your rooms or garden, seeing only what needs to be bought, rather than congratulating yourself on what you’ve already achieved? When you move into a new space, it’s normal to want it to be perfectly furnished and decorated immediately. But the beauty of a home is that it is a reflection of your own evolution. Refining and building over time is a more natural and harmonious way to live.

·         Tip #6 - Don’t look fabulous, BE fabulous. No amount of expensive highlights or Louboutin heels can compensate for a bad attitude or an unhealthy lifestyle. A well-rested forehead is infinitely cheaper and more attractive than one filled with Botox. Bright eyes, glowing skin and a genuine smile trump expensive outfits every time.

·         Tip #7 – Wear your clothes, don’t let them wear you. A plain sweater and jeans from the Gap will do more to provide a backdrop for your beauty than expensive jewellery or a boldly emblazoned logo that commands all the attention. Would you rather have someone say, “wow, you look great” or “wow, that’s a great pair of shoes”? Take your pick.

·         Tip #8 – You are not what you drive. Yes, it’s lovely to enjoy a smooth ride in an elegant car now and then, but ultimately, it’s just transportation. Do not rely on your car to make a statement as to who you are. Not everyone will translate a message you might like. Save the drive for essential trips and get your family riding bikes and walking. Dispositions will magically improve without the opportunity for backseat arguments.

·         Tip #9 – Understand diminishing utility. When you’re really hungry, a carrot tastes much sweeter. When you haven’t had a vacation in years, a weekend at the lake feels amazing. The more you consume, the less satisfaction the next bit of consumption will give you. Take a break from accumulating for a while, so that when you do buy yourself a treat, the enjoyment will be much richer.

·         Tip #10 – Take pleasure in the state of desire. If you had everything you could possibly want, where would all that energy go? Would you look for new things to want? Or would you become restless without having anything to aspire to? By racing to quickly attain the things you want, you miss out on the excitement of desiring and earning your achievements over time.

Put your money where your mouth is!

You know? The other day I was thinking about Pink Floyd's super famous song "Money" and, more specifically about its lyrics, its words, its message. It is undeniably a really good tune (but by no means my favorite of theirs) and it is one of the first songs most people get to listen from the British combo (along with "Another Brick in the Wall", of course). 

Anyway, it is the message we're discussing here:

"Money, get away"... "Money, get back"... "Money, it's a crime..." and so on, and so forth...

Basically a condemnation of money for being the root of all the evils of our ugly world. Hmmm... quite funny coming from a bunch of millionaires who probably live in some mansion in the French Riviera  and who would easily charge their fans between 50 to 100€ for a concert ticket and who would not hesitate to report them if they found out said fans were downloading their songs for free. Don't get me wrong, I love the Floyd, but a group  of philanthropic hippies these guys were not (Roger Waters even admitted in an interview that he was inspired to write The Wall after he spat at an enthusiastic fan in a gig and was disgusted by his repulsive behavior, but that is a completely different story!)

The thing is that I've always found the Rock Stars' hypocrysy about good deeds and especially about trying to pretend how little they care about money quite annoying; especially if they don't practice what they preach, they talk the talk but not walk the walk, etc. I mean, I'd rather have an artist (but also other types of professionals such as cooks, painters, etc.) who unabashedly admits he's only in it for the money than someone trying to convince me about artistic integrity and whatnot when his/her actions show otherwise. I just don't buy that BS, sorry.

That is not to say that true artistic integrity does not exist and that there are not people who have other much more important motivations than CASH in their careers and lives. Quite a few bands/individuals have risked much of their time, energy and investments in setting up record labels so as to help new, up-and-coming artists make their music (or whatever creation) available, and many have agreed to lower their fees so as to keep down the price tickets; all of it, out of pure altruism. So, of course, kudos to them!

Whatever, the issue I wanted to be discussed in this very post is MONEY; that is, how important money is in our lives.

I'll talk about myself, and expect you to do the same (as usual, in the comments box): I LOVE my job, but I really doubt I would do it for free. I've always thought that if you can make a living out of something you genuinely enjoy doing, then you're a lucky person. But of course, getting some money in exchange for that job which you love is an ESSENTIAL part of the equation; I mean, how could one live, otherwise?

The thing is that I reckon the money that I get for my job is pretty reasonable; sure, my job is a decently-paid one (especially when compared to most jobs in our country), and such pay would allow one to live comfortably (it pays the bills, for sure!), provided that person has some minimal money-management skills. In relation to this, I have to say that I wouldn't call myself a materialist; I'm not obsessed with money or whatever: I only see money as the vehicle for obtaining some goods, services or (more importantly, in my case) experiences/memories. Duh! you will say; EVERYONE uses money to buy things or experiences! Right, but what I mean is that I'm not that concerned about how much money I have in my bank account or about NOT SPENDING money (and consequently, saving it!) or about setting some private pension plan or saving it for a rainy day and stuff. 

The truth is that I'm a lousy saver: probably, having a job for a life has made me relax about having to amass some savings to fall back on if needed; it is quite complicated for me to set a budget and stick to it. Furthermore, I don't have kids, and things would be different if I had. On the other hand, I live on my own and all the expenses to meet (rent, utility bills, groceries, petrol, phone, internet), I have to do so myself. Periodically, some unexpected expense (municipal taxes, car repairs, car/house insurance, goddamned fines...) will come up, rendering the chance of saving some money a quite improbable one.

After paying bills and meeting my de rigueur expenses, there comes enjoyment; what a miserable life would it be if one could not treat him/herself after a long, hard work week, right? I'm not a capricious man and have little concern for cars or designer brands or expensive clothes but, I do have some interests and most of them are not free: I love music, and not just listening to it, but POSSESSING it, that is, buying vinyl records. I feel bad if I spend too much money on records (I try not to spend more than 5% of my monthly income on that), but sometimes I just give in to my record buying impulses. 

Eating out (and washing down a nice meal with an equally nice wine) is another of my personal pleasures, and I love doing it once a week at least (I hate being ripped off, though). So is craft beer (which is not exactly cheap). I also enjoy travelling quite a bit, and travelling can be a costly activity (I usually rely on others who are much better at finding travel bargains than me!).

I guess that, based on the previously stated, I'm more of a spender than a saver. I don't know, I don't really throw money away or spend money like water, but if with a decent pay, I  can barely make ends meet, then a saver I'm definitely not.

What about you guys/girls. What is your attitude towards money? How much money is enough money? (not a specific amount, but more of a description) Can you live on your income? Do you make do with what you have or would more money make a considerable difference?

Have your say!