<p>Who is the author of Stuffocation?</p>

<p>James Wallman is the author of Stuffocation.</p>

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Stuffocation Book Summary - Stuffocation Book explained in key points

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Stuffocation summary

Name: Stuffocation
Rating: 4.2 (129 reviews)
Author: James Wallman

James Wallman

Living More with Less

4.2 (129 ratings)

18 mins

Brief summary

Stuffocation by James Wallman argues that our obsession with material possessions is creating unhappiness and a strain on the planet. He suggests replacing materialism with experiences and living a more minimalistic lifestyle to find true fulfillment.

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Table of Contents

Stuffocation
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Discover what a future beyond materialism will look like.

Be honest: how much stuff do you have that you never use? If you’re like most other people, probably a lot. Whether it’s dragging home useless things from a Sunday flea market, or buying yet another electronic gadget that you don’t need, most of us suffer from the same thing: stuffocation.

This trend is not as harmless as it might seem. Buying more and more things, and hoarding them all in your home, doesn’t just make it harder to stay organized; as these blinks will show you, having so much stuff actually has the potential to kill you.

For a long time, materialism and consumption have been the reigning doctrines, not just as a path to personal happiness, but as the engines that drive the economy. However, this is starting to change as more and more people around the world find alternative ways to live beyond a state of constant consumption.

So what are these alternative lives, and what would a world beyond stuff look like? These blinks will show you.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why materialism has seen its heyday come and go;
how you get people to pay 50 pounds to watch a movie; and
how the economy can thrive without today’s levels of consumption.

Stuffocation is one of the biggest problems we suffer from today.

Is your cellar or spare room cluttered with things you never use? Do you have junk-filled drawers that you can’t even open because they’re so jammed? If so, you suffer from stuffocation – and chances are all the things you have no longer make you happy.

For a long time, happiness was widely considered to be determined by people’s belongings, and how many of them they had. But those days are over; owning more and more stuff no longer holds value for us. The reality is, “more” means having more things to organize and worry about. Materialism has become overwhelming.

In 1979, four out of five people in the United Kingdom, France and West Germany agreed with the notion that material things make us happy. These days, that same statistic is only about one in two, meaning that about half of the population today has had enough of so much stuff.

But how did we come to love stuff in the first place? Well, our minds evolved to be conscious of the threat of scarce resources, so gathering things was important. But in today’s abundant world, we don’t need to worry about this at all. We now have to change the way we think.

There are different reasons for our turning away from materialism. Ask a political scientist or a philosopher, for example, and you’ll get different responses.

Environmentalists are bucking materialistic values in favor of the environment; political scientists stress that most people care less about basic necessities such as food and shelter than they do about post-materialistic needs such as freedom of speech; and economists emphasize that rising costs and stagnating incomes are making us less materialistic, since we have less money for shopping.

But no matter who you speak to, there is a growing trend toward a new idea of happiness – that which prioritizes the enjoyment of experiences over possessions.

Stuffocation leads to unhappiness and even death.

Do the piles of stuff you have ever make you anxious? What about not having the stuff that other people have? Even the thought of organizing all your stuff probably has you pulling your hair out from time to time. But you’re not alone.

One day, British philosopher Jeremy Bentham noticed something as he was enjoying his morning coffee: the first cup he relished, but the second didn’t really satisfy him. You can probably relate to this feeling – a small amount of something is good, but you can also have too much of a good thing.

Overconsumption and overproduction are historically linked.

When demand escalates, supply has to match it. Overconsumption needs overproduction to feed it, and this is very clearly demonstrated throughout US history.

In the 60 years following the Civil War, the American population increased by a factor of three, from 35 million to 114 million. At the same time, the production of goods increased between 12 and 14 times. This disparity had to be dealt with, or radical production cuts would need to come into effect, leaving many unemployed or even causing an economic collapse. In the 1920s, addressing this gap between production and consumption was one of the major challenges faced by the US.

Minimalism, a simpler life or opting for medium chill are possible, but not perfect, cures for Stuffocation.

So what can you do to overcome stuffocation? There are three approaches you can try: minimalism, a simpler life or setting your life up for medium chill.

Minimalism basically involves sifting through your possessions and eliminating the majority of your accumulated stuff.

Experiences last longer than material goods – wisdom you can live by without becoming a hippie.

Should you spend your bonus on your next vacation or splurge on a new car? A concert or a new outfit? These are questions of whether to do or to have. Let’s make the decision a little easier: having is not all it’s cracked up to be.

In a 2003 study by psychologists Gilovich and van Boven, participants were asked to think of experiential and material purchases they had made, and were then asked questions about how happy it made them and how much it contributed to happiness in their life. The results showed that experiences bring people more happiness than material possessions.

Experientialism is the best and most widely accepted way to overcome stuffocation.

Experientialism is a widely embraced philosophy. People from all walks of life love taking long trips, going skydiving, eating great food and swimming in the sea.

But experientialism does have its downfalls. As experientialism can itself lead to elevated social status, it can unfortunately also lead to status anxiety.

Experientialism does not run contrary to the modern economy.

While they can be alright for some, minimalism or leading a simpler life don’t really fit with today’s economic system. Experientialism, on the other hand, does.

Companies trying to sell products today can no longer stand above the rest simply by making the most noise or through flashy advertising, as used to be the case. Consumers now crave status and experience, so brands who want to stay ahead of the curve will need to keep this in mind.

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What is Stuffocation about?

Stuffocation (2013) explains how having too much stuff not only places an unnecessary burden on us, but is even leading to health issues. Our lives have become oversaturated with things, and a new value is emerging: the importance of experience over material possessions.

Stuffocation Review

Stuffocation (2015) by James Wallman is an eye-opening exploration of the modern phenomenon of materialism and its consequences on our well-being. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Offers a fresh perspective on the cluttered consumer culture, providing insights into the age-old question of what truly brings happiness and fulfillment.
Presents compelling research and case studies that reveal the negative effects of materialism, inspiring readers to reevaluate their relationship with possessions.
Encourages a shift toward a more balanced and meaningful existence, offering practical tips and alternative ways of finding joy that go beyond acquiring stuff.

Best quote from Stuffocation

Happiness is more likely to come from the enjoyment of experiences rather than the accumulation of stuff.

—James Wallman

Who should read Stuffocation?

Anyone interested in what happens after the age of materialism
Anyone feeling overwhelmed by having too much stuff

About the Author

Futurist and best-selling author James Wallman has appeared on MSNBC and the BBC, and his opinions have been cited in publications such as Time, The Economist and The New York Times. He also wrote the futurology column in T3 magazine.

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Productivity Society & Culture Motivation & Inspiration

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