Dec 10
13
Pseudo-empowerment
One of my sisters and I had a conversation once regarding behaviors that seem to feel empowering at the time, but, in reality, they are not. Can you think of activities that you participate in right now that might carry with them the appearance of empowerment but are actually empty?
A prominent one on my mind right now is the behavior of spending money (can you guess why I might be thinking of this one?). In the commercialism of the winter season, with various holidays and gift-giving practices, many people spend money–including spending money they do not have. Rarely does one see signs in shops that say: Did you budget for this for Christmas? or Is this really in your price range? Nope, unfortunately, marketing geniuses advertise more like this: For that special someone on your list (okay, if they are even on your list, aren’t they special already?) or Free shipping and 10% off today only (never mind your budget is still way less than their prices…even with 10% off).
Then we succumb. We spend. We feel great. We get the perfect gift (so what if we spent a little more than we intended…?). We walk out of the store or pick up the package off our doorstep…and in the days and months that follow, what usually follows us is the interest.
Now, contrast those feelings with feelings we have after we help someone, gain knowledge, or give back after receiving. How does that feeling linger? Does it get stale, like the bread left open on the counter, or does it linger like the sweet smell of fresh cinnamon rolls the morning after baking?
Just some food for thought…! (And, fyi, I’d rather have the cinnamon rolls…in fact, I may go make some now!)
