Removing the Four Toxins Has Revealed the Mechanics of Consumption

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Hello, this is Shizukana Tane🌱

As I have been removing the four toxins, my perspective on daily life has changed a little.

🌾 Starting to notice the mechanics of consumption

I feel like I have started to notice not just food, but the "mechanics of consumption" as well.

Amidst that, what suddenly came into view was

Mass production. Mass consumption. Mass disposal.

I feel like this cycle is reaching its limit somewhere.

Companies, too, have come to be required to prioritize efficiency and speed,

and perhaps there is less room to carefully nurture products.

As a result,

as relaxed time decreases, products gradually become similar.

There is no longer room to create major differences, and only minor improvements keep increasing.

Minor improvements themselves are not bad, but if that is all there is, it might become harder to see the differences.

And other companies also start making similar products.

💰 A structure where the final choice is based on price

When that happens, it becomes a question of "what do you choose based on?"

I think that in the end, it probably comes down to price.

As price competition progresses, companies find it necessary to lower costs.

A major part of that is labor costs.

Either wages go down, or the number of people is reduced (such as transportation expenses).

In that way, the burden is shifted onto people and the way they work.

We are workers, but at the same time, we are also on the consuming side.

In reality,
wages have remained largely unchanged while prices have continued to rise little by little.

With wages struggling to grow, only expenses continue to increase.

When that happens, you are forced to choose cheaper items.

Or, you start to hold back on buying things altogether.

As a result, even though goods are being produced, they become harder to sell.

The burden of that strain eventually returns to the workers.

Wages become even harder to raise, and consumption weakens further.

We might be caught in that kind of cycle.

🧥 A sense of unease felt with clothing

As one example of this, something I felt close to home was "clothing."

I used to think that having a large "quantity" of clothes was a sign of wealth.

I even felt it was a better deal to buy many cheap items at Workman.

But when I think about it carefully,

clothes bought cheaply don't actually last that long.

They get damaged quickly, or I somehow just get tired of them.

Influenced by trends, I sometimes find myself not wearing them anymore before I know it.

And then, I end up buying new things again.

Perhaps it was what they call "penny-wise and pound-foolish."

🌿 The choice to use things for a long time

In the long run, I believe that buying quality items and using them for a long time actually costs less money.

When we get things cheaply, we tend to treat them carelessly, they break easily, or we grow tired of them.

If we keep replacing them every time that happens, we might end up spending more money in the long run.

Instead of that

Even with fewer clothes, I cherish the ones I truly love and wear them carefully.

I feel that life quietly settles into order that way.

There is one thing I have felt throughout this process.

And that is perhaps I don't need to buy so much.

That is what I mean.

Choose things you truly love. Use high-quality items for a long time.

When you do that, the frequency of your purchases naturally decreases.

You will also be less swayed by trends.

📺 The desire is manufactured

In our daily lives, we have many opportunities to see commercials and advertisements.

Without realizing it, the feeling of wanting something might be being created for us.

However, I also feel that the current flow of consumption is approaching its limit.

That is precisely why I want to try moving in a slightly opposite direction to the current trend.

Choose things that can be used for a long time. Value quality over quantity.

Such choices will, as a result, curb spending and stabilize our lives.

🌙 The possibility of changing how we work

And if you don't need as much money,

the option to change how you work also emerges.

Maybe I don't have to work so much.

Once you start to think that way,

you can reduce your working hours a little and have more relaxed time.

You can try doing what you love during that time.

Whether it's writing, creating, or nurturing something.

Perhaps that might even turn into money little by little.

That is how you gradually take your time back for yourself.

Until now, perhaps I had been selling off my time to the company piece by piece.

🪶 Conclusion

I thought eliminating the four poisons was just about changing my diet.

But before I knew it, it had become a catalyst for rethinking how I consume and how I work.

Perhaps true abundance lies in 'reducing'.

Thank you for reading until the end.

Your likes, follows, and comments are also a great source of encouragement.