The False Savior

As it turns out, I didn't post yesterday. Internet went temporarily down, and I am currently writing as fast as possible so that I can get this post out. So here it is. . .

One of the biggest problems in America right now is that of false saviors. I'm not, however, referring here to an anti-Christ. I'm talking about what some might call "smart marketing." I'm talking about a method of advertising that involves a rather obviously subtle deception.

Here is what I'm talking about:

Imagine you see an ad on TV. This ad is for the newest Ford truck. On this ad they talk about how much better it is than anything that has ever come before.

Or maybe an ad for a cell phone companies. They talk a lot about how with their newest plan, you'll be able to talk with friends, relatives, etc for much cheaper. This will make you happier.

The list goes on, but the point is just that marketing almost universally involves saying that whatever it is you have is not as good as what they're trying to sell you.

So now, let's imagine that you go out and buy the truck, cell phone plan or potato peeler. You drive in it, call with it or peel with it, and yes, you are happier while it's new. But the problem is, the truck gets dirty and dented. The phone becomes obsolete, and the potato peeler breaks. And you're in the same place you were before. Your smile isn't as big as the smiles on the faces of the people on TV.

These corporations are not saviors. They're salesmen. We may know that intellectually, but we don’t know it. We may not claim that the truck is our salvation, but we feel like it is. Our feelings, so typically, have lied to us.

Although I had claimed yesterday that I was going to hide the answers, I changed my mind. Instead, I’m putting the solution to this problem at the bottom of the page. Here it is:

Because the problem is more personal than not, and we can’t stop the company from changing their ads, instead we have to find our own way out of this one. Basically, we have to somehow realize that we don’t need this new truck, and that even if we do get it, we won’t be made instantly happy.

That’s the best I can offer. Be aware that nothing is going to change just because you have a new thing. If I bought the best guitar in the world, and the best amplifiers and strings and everything else, I still wouldn’t be the best guitarist. I would be a mediocre guitarist with expensive stuff. Similarly, If your life is miserable, it has nothing to do with what you own (there are exceptions, maybe, but I’m willing to guess that if you have access to this blog, you’re not homeless.)

So there you are. This is all I’ve got. You can stop reading now.