Affluenza

"We live in a society whose whole policy is to excite every nerve in the human body and keep it at its highest pitch of artificial tension, to strain every human desire to the limit and to create as many new desires and synthetic possessions as possible" Thomas Merton

Merton, Thomas. "Seeds." Shambhala Publication Inc. 2002

Thomas Merton, a Trappist Monk, was an influential Catholic writer, poet, activist, and speaker. He dealt mostly with topics of spirituality and their connection with world issues.

This book is a compilation of essays and excerpts from books written by Thomas Merton. In this section, titled, The World We Live In, Merton writes about his views on the Western culture and consumerism. Later on, after this quote, Merton goes on to state that he believes America is too focused on meaningless, synthetic pleasures. he also states that living this way has already affected the world in a negative way.

My project's purpose is to encourage people to get back to basics and not buy processed and packaged food. Companies invent new, exciting, processed foods every day and advertisers push the selling of these packaged foods. America's people are constantly being encouraged to buy some new food product, whether it be squeezable yogurt in a tube or cheese in a can. Our society always wants more and more of the best, the newest, the most popular. The food industry is a huge part of this continuous cycle of desire and demand.