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We are living in the biggest consumption explosion in history, and it could well be terminal, if we don’t stop.
Diminishing man
The Latin word absumo means to consume, but in the absolute sense, in other words it means to exhaust, wear out, use up and to end. These terms are all the opposite of sustainability, which is the condition of something that lasts. However, humanity is diminishing nature and the resources she provides and by doing so we diminish ourselves. We are Homo Absumo – Diminishing Man.
Homo Sapiens
Of course, our species name is Homo Sapiens. Sapiens means ‘wise’. There is absolutely no doubt that we are extraordinarily clever beings and yet we are not wise enough to know when our cleverness is harmful and perhaps, terminal. It is time that as a species, and as individuals, we wise up to the fact that what the earth can provide is limited and we all need to live within those limits.
This means that sustainability is an issue of consumption. Or, to be precise, sustainability is the opposite of over-consumption. Over-consumption is dire for our shared planet, and ironically it is also bad for people in many ways. Perhaps, the greatest harm to ourselves is to waste our precious time on Earth being passive consumers when we could rightly be active producers of our potential selves.
Homo Faber
Another name that humans have been called is Homo Faber, or Maker Man.
To be able to over-consume we need to over-produce. There are two fundamental types of production.
The first is the sort of production that enables passive consumption – this is consumption in the absumo sense. Above a certain low level of necessary consumption, production for consumption is pointless. In this case the cost of consumption outweighs the benefit of it, meaning that it is a complete waste. Over-consumption is called terminal consumption because it leads nowhere. Those who know they have enough are rich because they can use their precious time doing authentic things that matter more, including relationships and personal growth.
Instrumental production
This points to the second type of production which enables our well-being, engagement and personal growth. This is primarily about ‘producing the self’ as the psychologist Erich Fromm described it. Producing to consume is essentially passive because consumption is essentially passive. On the other hand, producing for authentic life is active, positive and constructive.
Instrumental production includes a wide range of cultural and creative products and services. Instrumental production and consumption requires people to actively use their physical and cognitive abilities and energies more, thereby providing the considerable benefits of active agency. It is also production that is generally much less entropic – using much less energy and other resources.
It is interesting that many people do arts, crafts and other creative hobbies and pursuits as a so-called pastime and yet it can provide more meaning than their paid work.
In conclusion, humans don’t exist to just consume. It is not in our nature; our nature is to thrive. We humans think we are evolved, but to know that we are far from evolved is to be wise. From Socrates to Shakespeare to Einstein, sages throughout the years have often said it – we are fools to be arrogant, just as we are fools to be passive and complacent. Our purpose is not to be passive consumers. Our purpose is to fulfil our potential as creative (not destructive) beings.