This is often attributed to capitalism, but it actually is an effect of mass media and advertising, which are more recent than capitalism, but "capitalism" as a contrast to "communism" or "community" is a false dichotomy here as well. Frugal and extremely community-minded Quakers were the first capitalists in the modern sense. The pursuit of the self is also a somewhat misleading term, because pursuit of happiness is a hallmark of the constitution and made America great. Narcissism, CONSUMER hedonism and "just push the button" ruined society. I think it is important to point that out, because technology does not necessarily turn you into a slob, and neither does hedonism or capitalism. It is the manufacturers' advertising and race to the bottom of the smallest common denominator, competition in artificial creation of questionable desires and commercially hypnotic worship of status- and education-surrogates that do that.
I guess you can have a healthy society of space-faring Amish (who are NOT luddites, apparently), even a hedonistic healthy high-tech society like early modern France. It is the contempt for literacy and diligence in favor of electronic media and "just push the button" advertising that got us into the mess. Europe is not any better, btw., perhaps worse off, because competitive tech is essentially dead in Europe.
Narcissism is the cancer that has killed society. The pursuit of the self has destroyed the collective.
This is often attributed to capitalism, but it actually is an effect of mass media and advertising, which are more recent than capitalism, but "capitalism" as a contrast to "communism" or "community" is a false dichotomy here as well. Frugal and extremely community-minded Quakers were the first capitalists in the modern sense. The pursuit of the self is also a somewhat misleading term, because pursuit of happiness is a hallmark of the constitution and made America great. Narcissism, CONSUMER hedonism and "just push the button" ruined society. I think it is important to point that out, because technology does not necessarily turn you into a slob, and neither does hedonism or capitalism. It is the manufacturers' advertising and race to the bottom of the smallest common denominator, competition in artificial creation of questionable desires and commercially hypnotic worship of status- and education-surrogates that do that.
I guess you can have a healthy society of space-faring Amish (who are NOT luddites, apparently), even a hedonistic healthy high-tech society like early modern France. It is the contempt for literacy and diligence in favor of electronic media and "just push the button" advertising that got us into the mess. Europe is not any better, btw., perhaps worse off, because competitive tech is essentially dead in Europe.