We live in a world that produces discontent. There are so many options and varities of everything that it takes us forever to make a decision on which TV to buy or which car to purchase. By the time we make a decision what we have bought is already out of date and there is something better. It seems counterintuitive that consumerism would breed discontent but it really does. The more we get and the more options that are produced the less we feel satisfied with what we have and the less committed we are to what we have and even what we stand for.
The WWII generation was known as the “Greatest Generation.” They were willing to hold firm to their beliefs and stand up for
America is a place of all sorts of choices. There are endless varieties of iPods, vehicles, and television stations. When television first came out there was a huge level of commitment to the television set that was purchased and it stayed in the family for decades. There weren’t many options and the choice nearly seemed permanent. Today there is no product loyalty. By the time we buy something it is already out of date and we have no real commitment to many of the things we buy or the shows we watch. Even the shows we do watch are composed of many 2-6 second camera angles all strung together to keep our attention. Turn on a show like ER or House and count the number of seconds of each shot. Most shots are from 2-6 seconds. It is really pretty amazing.
