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Much easier said than done. Empirical studies of wine-tasting and reproducibility show that our unconscious minds are wonderfully good at tricking us into mista
by Nomentatus 9y ago
Much easier said than done. Empirical studies of wine-tasting and reproducibility show that our unconscious minds are wonderfully good at tricking us into mistaking mere signalling for intrinsic qualities such as better taste. Without a lot of meditation (Samadhi then Vipassana) you can't stop being fooled, a lot of the time. (As well as confusing secondary reinforcement for primary, in general.) Nature doesn't want you to; it wants you to attract "better" mates and impress others (establish dominance.)
One or two simple rules can help, however. Rarely buy what's generally coveted, never buy any product that's advertised, and do not hang out with those who do.
- icanhackit 9y agoI don't necessarily agree with your final points. Often tools will be branded and stylised, but as long as they hold utility they're more honest than "articles of self" or items that you didn't create, have no relationship with, and are using to vaguely define your sensibilities. The simplest rule: Buy tools i.e. anything that can be used to create or modify something. A knife is a tool, a (functional) camera is a tool, a microwave is a tool, a couch is a tool, a bed is a tool, a computer is a tool.