Economics always begins its discourse by asserting that human desire is “infinite.” It treats us as if we were born with an unfillable hole in our hearts by design. Today, however, I want to flip that premise on its head. Is our desire truly an endless abyss, or must it be infinite simply for this system to survive?
On a Bicycle That Crashes if It Stops
The massive machine of capitalism we live in is obsessively addicted to “growth.” Corporations must turn more profit than last year, and nations must record positive growth every year. What would happen if everyone in the world simultaneously declared, “I am happy enough; I have nothing left to buy,” and stopped consuming? The modern civilization we know would likely go bankrupt that very day.
Ultimately, to survive, the system must constantly inject a sense of “deficiency” into us. Infinite desire is not human nature; rather, it is a “mandatory specification” imposed upon us to keep the system running. The moment we feel satisfied, the machine grinds to a halt.
The Architects of Invented Lack
Suppliers do more than just manufacture goods; they spend astronomical sums of money to redefine our perfectly fine daily lives as “insufficient.” These “architects of desire”—comprised of marketing experts and data analysts—carve new channels into our brains, even if they have to outsource the labor to do so.
A smartphone that caused no inconvenience yesterday suddenly becomes a source of shame simply because it has fewer camera lenses. Clothes that are still perfectly wearable head to the recycling bin because they aren’t “this year’s color.” Is this my spontaneous desire, or is it the result of sophisticated gaslighting whispering to me that “you are not enough as you are”?
A Matter of Structure, Not Nature
We often dismiss overconsumption and greed as personal moral failings. However, before we criticize humans for not knowing contentment, we must first look at a structure designed to invite disaster the moment we are content. Society equips us with an engine called “infinite desire” and cheers us on as “excellent consumers” the hotter that engine runs.
I believe the first chapter of economics textbooks must now be rewritten. Instead of “human desire is infinite,” it should say: “Human desire is managed to be infinite for the maintenance of the system.”
Finding My Own Pace
Listening to my true inner voice within this massive guidance system is by no means easy. Yet, simply recognizing that the root of my desire often lies in a “supplier’s plan” rather than in myself allows me to stop rowing for a moment and catch my breath.
To avoid being swept away by the waves of infinite desire, the question I ask myself today is this: “Is this something I truly want, or is it something the world told me to want?”
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