November 25, 2015
The Urge to Purchase
TimeWatch Editorial
November 25, 2015
In our very last editorial, we warned about the matter of credit. The Biblical description is even clearer regarding this. Solomon does not equivocate in the least when in Proverbs 22:7 he says:
“The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
The implication therefore is that with credit comes an additional vulnerability. In order to properly understand this, we must grasp what wages are. Money that is received for work done is actually given in exchange for time, strength and skills. If therefore wages are paid in exchange for time, strength and skills, then money borrowed, involves a form of servant surrender; especially if repayment of the loan includes the payment of interest.
It may not always be possible to avoid the need for credit, circumstances vary as conditions vary. It is however possible to treat with wisdom the little that you have, so that unnecessary expenditure may be avoided. To be drawn into the Coercive Persuasion that propels one to purchase that which is poured into the subconscious by subliminal suggestion, is by far the most effective means of draining what is left after the necessities of life are taken care of, back into the pockets of those who seek nothing but riches for the sake of riches. The better counsel would be, if you need it, save for it and pay for it.
There are some things that are needed in times of emergency. Those things must be acquired. But the rest, the greedy lusts, the last items strategically placed near the checkout counter, should be left unbought. On the website: Soundview Executive Book Summaries, a speed review of the Book “Why People Buy Things They Don’t Need” written by Pamela Danziger, the reviewer says this:
“Danziger writes that consumers are looking for emotional satisfaction when they buy the things they do not need. This discretionary spending can be broken down into four types. These are:
- Pragmatic . This type of spending is made up of the things that people buy not because they need them, but because they perceive them as making their lives better in meaningful, measurable ways.
- Indulgences . These are the luxuries that people buy without guilt. They bring emotional satisfaction by being frivolous, a little extravagant, but not so expensive that they lead to remorse.
- Lifestyle Luxuries . These purchases fill a practical need, but are well beyond the basic items needed to effectively serve essential purposes.
- Aspirational Luxuries . These purchases are bought purely for the joy that owning them brings. They include original art, antiques, yachts and fine jewelry.
The question must be asked, how long do things provide the joy they appear to bring? I think you know the answer. That is why the action is so often repeated, like an addiction. If this is your motivation for spending, then you must know that truly lasting joy must come from somewhere else. True value is not found in things. Here is an amazing quote from Signs of the Times, May 4, 1882. The Article is entitled: “Labor as a Blessing.”
“The true glory and joy of life are found only by the working man and woman. Labor brings its own reward, and sweet is the rest that is purchased by the fatigue of a well-spent day. But there is a self-imposed toil which is injurious and utterly unsatisfying. It is that which gratifies unsanctified ambition, which seeks display for notoriety.” {ST, May 4, 1882 par. 16}
It might take some time to readjust your thinking on these matters, but it will ultimately be worth your while to do so. Remember, to borrow that, which must be repaid with interest, is to spend the future. To spend the future is to destroy the present.
Cameron A. Bowen
