American de-Materialist

Wikipedia credits James Truslow Adams with coining the phrase "American Dream" in his 1931 book, Epic of America. Adams wrote, "The American Dream... has not been a dream of material plenty, though that has doubtlessly counted heavily. It has been a dream of being able to grow to fullest development as a man and woman, unhampered by... social orders which had developed for the benefit of classes rather than for the simple human being of any and every class." Recent debt-fueled decades of consumption are evidence that material plenty was elevated by most as the primary path to self-development and happiness.

American RadioWorks recently produced a radio documentary on the American Dream. The final part of the production considers the prospect for a new Dream and asks if Americans will willingly lower their standards of living as a result of the economic crisis (and I would add impending global resource shortages). A producer expressed hope that America will become more financially conservative, but I think it will be hard to put that materialistic genie back into its bottle. The program further suggested that going forward people may make different choices about how they use money, for example by spending it on experiences. Perhaps. We could also stand to be more careful about the purchases we do make. Europeans generally seem to get this already. Swedes, for example, live simply but most also have access to tiny cottages (usually red, I hear) where they spend their vacations. Vacations are like sacred experiences in Europe and Scandinavia. Incidentally, the most important lesson I learned from dating a European back in college was how to invest in a few things of high quality (such as a nice jacket or suit) but otherwise to live simply and with less stuff.

The Apartment Therapy Re-Nest blog has an interesting post pondering the role of technology in reducing physical purchases. I've found that to be the case what with i-Pods (free podcasts!), Netflix (low cost and convenient movies!), Hulu (who needs a TV?!), Pandora (free music - until something great comes along and then it's off to iTunes for $0.99), etc. Our little place is decidedly more streamlined with these electronic tools. The computer plays an important role in lifestyle flexibility. It is a learning tool and a source of entertainment and communication and self-expression. It will obviously play a key role in the adaptation of American life in a future that is more resource-constricted.