Occupy the Moment: A Mindful Path to a New Economy by Rick Heller

Author:Rick Heller [Heller, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-10-29T00:00:00+00:00

Meditation 6 – Mindfulness of Marketing

Many advertisers try to manipulate our emotions. They undermine our satisfaction with what we have in order to motivate us to buy their products. This cycle drives tremendously wasteful private spending in the United States that bring no real gain in happiness.

Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert called this “shameovation” in a segment that satirized ads that try to make women insecure about their appearance. After making fun of a product claiming to make armpits “beautiful,” Colbert concluded “I know what you’re saying. You’re saying, ‘Beauty is on the inside. That’s why we need to make women feel bad about their internal organs too. I mean, just check out this chunky pancreas.” [55]

Besides making us want to buy more for ourselves, advertisements also urge us to spend more on others. These ads stoke the fear that we’ll meet with disapproval if our gifts are inadequate. Take, for instance, this ad by a car maker that shows a cute little girl and her father going shopping for a Christmas tree. The girl sees a small tree that delights her in her childish, “beginner’s mind.”

“I want this one,” the girl says,

“Not big enough,” Dad replies.

The girl combs the lot, pointing to a larger Christmas tree and a larger one still.

“Still not big enough,” Dad says.

“But it’s the biggest one here,” she says with disappointment.

Then the announcer breaks in and says, “Let’s be honest. No one ever wished for a smaller holiday gift.” At which point the ad shows a luxury car with a red bow wrapped around it. [56]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen more explicit instructions in the art of hyper-consumption. As an added bonus, the ad teaches how to destroy a child’s natural, mindful sense of wonder about small, beautiful things.

Most advertisements are more subtle. But they still try to manipulate us. By being mindful of our emotions, we can notice when we're being played. Then we may be able to disregard these messages.

Besides being a joy, mindfulness can neutralize unpleasant emotions. Awareness of feelings is one of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Buddhist scripture. The Buddha, according to tradition, said, “When experiencing a pleasant feeling, the monk knows, ‘I experience a pleasant feeling.’ When experiencing a painful feeling, the monk knows, ‘I experience a painful feeling.’”[57]

That may seem redundant, but it’s not. With mindfulness, you don’t simply feel your feelings, but are consciously aware that you’re feeling them. Research shows that simply labeling an unpleasant emotion can help neutralize the feeling.[58]

When you become mindful of the desire to buy something, you can shift your attention to the feelings in your body, and notice what desire does to your body. As you automatically reach for your wallet or purse, you can be aware of doing that. This moment of self-awareness may help you reflect whether you really need what you’re about to purchase, and whether you ought to buy it.

Try this meditation on the feelings that advertisements evoke in you.

Find a glossy magazine with lots of ads.

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