Excessive living and consumerism

Quotes from Consumption by Robert Bocock. 

1. 'The first sixty years of the eighteenth century saw the development of a 'consumer revolution' in the sense of an increased number of people aware of, and able to purchase an increasing variety of goods for the household and for body decoration. This growth of an increased market for such consumer goods among the urban middle classes as well as the aristocracy and country gentlefolk.' 

2. 'In the social formation of western  capitalism, however, consumption has become linked with desires, through the use of signs and symbols in selling products to the majority of consumers. These desires to become a certain type of person through consuming objects such as clothes, or styles of furniture , do not disappear in periods of economic recession.' 

This indicates the need in such material objects and through the use of availability of these products, show the somewhat greed of people to be 'better' then others, this greed in turn affects the environment in which we live, the over excess behavior and waste of such things like food, clothes and other objects that we think make us happy. This happiness is only a temporary feeling for a small amount of time.