Several people have excitedly told me about this 20-minute educational film, saying “Dave, you have to check this out!” We recently viewed it with a small audience at a local screening. You can download it for free or order a DVD, or just watch it below.
Written and Narrated by Annie Leonard, it uses simple but fun-to-watch animation to take us through the process many of our possessions go through before arriving in our homes. It also takes us several steps beyond that.
From a macro perspective, Leonard clearly points out environmental, health, and human rights implications that affect all of us. The video also got me thinking about connections to individual happiness and well-being.
For example, is a detachment from our possessions and their sources often indicative of a larger sense of detachment? If we don’t know anything about where the shirt we’re wearing or the tomato we’re eating came from, are we essentially detaching ourselves from other human beings?
In other words, through developing a greater awareness of our consumer goods and their origins, will we in turn become closer to one another, making our lives more fulfilling?
To what extent are our lives governed by what is truly important to us, versus what marketers tell us is important? The discussion on “planned obsolescence” alongside changing fashions got me thinking about times when I was younger, and was sometimes afraid to go to certain social events because I didn’t have the latest style of shoes or shirt. I wonder how much of this I still hold onto as an adult.
If we worry about such things, does it mean we have facades we need to break free of? If we love to collect and wear something like novelty shoes or scarves with flower patterns, or if we naturally thrive off of appearing eccentric and attracting attention, that’s one thing; but if we’re simply worried about impressing others for fear we’re not otherwise good enough, that’s another.
Are we using superficial possessions as a substitute for acting more authentically? And if we are surrounded by individuals who do this to a great extent – either in our places of leisure or work – should we seek to surround ourselves with more people who don’t do this?
Are many of the living habits that are good for global sustainability also beneficial for our personal life fulfillment?
Perhaps “The Story of Stuff” will inspire as many sustainability-related questions for you as it did for me.
by Flickr user Nina Hale. Brightness, contrast, and size adjusted. License.