"To overcome attachment to material things calls for the opposing virtue of detachment ..."

"The real Amish compress more of life into a given moment ..."


Snippets from Eric Brende's commentary, Why Consumerism Still Consumes Us. Published in the New Oxford Review. April 2011.


"To overcome attachment to material things calls for the opposing virtue of detachment, a kind of physical extrication, a relinquishment of dependency.

"So we need more than a changed attitude; we need a detachment with teeth ...

"How do we obtain that?

"Fortunately not all Amish have succumbed to consumerism, and some live a life reminiscent of the old Puritans and Catholic Benedictines.

"After visiting Lancaster [Pennsylvania], I stumbled onto one of these groups, lived among them for years, gleaned much about their secrets, and even wrote a book about them.

"Among my bracing discoveries.

"1) The real Amish have more time. Yes, they do all their physical work by hand or with horses. But there is more time at the end of the day. Compared to the rest of us, they are saturated with leisure.

"2) The real Amish compress more of life into a given moment. This explains their leisure. Physical exercise, companionship, immersion in nature, contemplation -- all are ingredients in a typical slice of Amish daily experience. That's because they work for subsistence -- meeting their actual needs instead of for luxuries -- meeting self - made needs. I felt a wonderful, achy satisfaction at the end of a day working on an Amish farmstead. I had not been chasing trinkets or will - o' - the - wisps. I had been zeroing in on my true, barebones human needs. There is no replacement for that kind of satisfaction.

"3) The real Amish carry no burdensome debt. Most farmers borrow hugely to pay for giant tractors and enormous acreages in a cycle that forces them to get ever bigger or get out... The real Amish working in small twenty - to fifty - fifty - acre plots for their own needs and a bit of extra cash, incur few debts and feel much freer ...

"4). The real Amish enjoy a certain, but limited, amount of scintillating pleasure. Amish cooking is delectable. Amish farmsteads are beautiful. Amish families average eight children ...

"5) The real Amish confer with one another to set limits on land, possessions, and technology. They pray together and make Sunday a genuine day of rest dedicated to God. By forging their destinies together and putting God above everything, they, in effect, create a well - ordered, all - encompassing haven from the surrounding culture ..."


You bet! :)