{"id":1512,"date":"2018-02-19T06:00:15","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T10:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bard.edu\/mba\/?p=1512"},"modified":"2018-02-05T10:21:08","modified_gmt":"2018-02-05T14:21:08","slug":"the-transformation-of-downsizing-by-samuel-monkarsh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bard.edu\/mba\/2018\/02\/19\/the-transformation-of-downsizing-by-samuel-monkarsh\/","title":{"rendered":"What We Can Learn from “Downsizing”–By Samuel Monkarsh"},"content":{"rendered":"

Is rethinking human consumption going mainstream?<\/em><\/p>\n

Driving down the 10 Freeway last week, I came across a billboard advertising the Matt Damon film, Downsizing<\/em>. The ad provided few visual cues, yet led me to believe that Hollywood is ready to tackle America\u2019s consumption addiction.<\/p>\n

In an interview, writer\/director Alexander Payne details the plot: \u201cDownsizing<\/em> imagines what might happen if, as a panacea for overpopulation and climate change, Norwegian scientists discovered how to shrink people down to 5 inches tall, and proposed this very earnestly as the only possible humane and inclusive solution to our biggest long-term problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

The film, in other words, imagines what it looks like to reduce consumption by minimizing the individual, rather than by minimizing our appetite for more.<\/em><\/p>\n

In its ironic rearrangement of the consumption equation, the film emphasizes scale. In “Leisureland,” the home of the downsized population, for example, currency from the normal-sized world earns exceptional conversion rates in the tiny world, enabling average middle class Americans to live as millionaires.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
https:\/\/www.traileraddict.com\/downsizing\/trailer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The film’s ultimate message is powerful:\u00a0To truly downsize, we need to confront our addiction to consumption.<\/p>\n

And that addiction is strong. Our desire for more is fed to us every day through our culture, economy and media. Personally, I believe that it\u00a0was taught to the masses by marketers like Edward Bernays during the Industrial Age, to enrich corporations and transform citizens into consumers.<\/p>\n

There’s hope, though. Let\u2019s, for instance, assume that wanting more has been built into the human condition.<\/p>\n

What we choose to have more of<\/em>–that’s\u00a0where the potential lies.<\/p>\n

The average American today desires:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • more<\/em> money<\/li>\n
  • more <\/em>things<\/li>\n
  • more<\/em> freedom<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    But imagine if tomorrow\u2019s American dreams were:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • more<\/em> clean air to breathe<\/li>\n
    • more<\/em> biodiversity in our oceans<\/li>\n
    • more<\/em> income equality<\/li>\n
    • more<\/em> transparency<\/li>\n
    • more<\/em> sustainable businesses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Sustainability, which aims to change the landscape of our operations by downsizing society\u2019s excessive behaviors, can jumpstart this transformation.\u00a0If we utilize our appetite for more by redirecting our hunger, we can catalyze the healing that our society and the environment require.<\/p>\n

      It won’t be easy, of course. In Downsizing<\/em>, the characters who’ve been shrunk are consumed with anxiety and uncertainty about their choice. It’s similar to to the anxiety felt by someone today aspiring to lead a more sustainable life.<\/p>\n

      When faced with our massive, ingrained consumer culture, we feel nervous as we\u00a0 imagine how we’ll manage life with less. How will we get by?<\/p>\n

      That fear is a positive reminder that we’re on the cusp of our comfort zone, ready to downsize our impact.<\/p>\n

      I’m currently in the process of downsizing, myself, and I’m feeling a little anxious. I’m moving into a smaller apartment and am considering becoming a one-car household instead of a two-car. But the more I think about the impact of my choices–how fewer possessions means a more\u00a0prosperous environment–my anxieties quiet, and my dream of a revitalized planet grows stronger.<\/p>\n

      Only after we curb our consumption will we be able to enjoy the abundance this planet offers.<\/p>\n

      Are we on the verge of a sustainability revolution?<\/em> By the looks of this Hollywood feature, the potential is there. We must continue the fight until there is no doubt.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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