Several months ago, my uncle found himself in a predicament that nagged at both ends of his Personal and Collective spectrum of Well-Being. For nearly four years, he enjoyed time spent behind the wheel of his Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Not only was the car fuel efficient, but it’s powerful engine and 5 speed manual transmission made it fun to drive, too. Personal Well-Being was thriving. However, once Volkswagen became globally shunned in the TDI debacle coined “Dieselgate,” my Uncle faced a tough choice. Would he continue to operate a car that exponentially hurt the environment because he enjoyed driving it so much? After a good amount of introspective thought and constructive conversations with friends and family, he sold his TDI back to Volkswagen. Then, went and bought himself a Chevy Volt. He absolutely loves his new car.
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Question 1: What product or service categories do you think that the “wise consumer” is most likely to spend money on?
I believe the concept or state of “wise” equates to constructive life experiences; instances from which people can learn from. Becoming wise is highly dependent on first-hand learning. External knowledge rarely resonates well enough with humans to find permanence within our minds. Whether heartening, disastrous, or neutral, the more we experience, the more we learn, the wiser we become. A wise person has a lot of experience under their belt. They’re what I’d consider a ‘veteran liver’ (not to be confused with the bodily organ; I’m talking about someone partaking in the act of living).
We’ve (hurriedly) established that experience > learning > wiseness, but what comes with being a “wise consumer”? I believe that wiseness enhances our spectrum of consumption by boosting each of the 5 Facets of Consumer Wisdom. With more knowledge of the 5 Facets, we have a greater ability to make the right consumer choices. However, one facet is particularly broader through the eyes of a “wise consumer.” I believe that facet is Transcendence.
A young (unexperienced & unwise) person, is primarily focused on personal well-being (graduating college, securing a job, beginning a marriage, financially supporting themselves/their families). However, someone who’s lived & learned enough has the ability to evolve from fussing over these stresses, giving them the ability to see the world from a different perspective. They gravitate towards a collective well-being; the type that the Transcendence facet is built upon. I believe our compassion (greater concern for the welfare of others) and interbeing (recognizing and cultivating connection throughout the world as a sense of interconnectedness and shared existence) share a direct relationship with wiseness. As one increase, so does the other.
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Question 2: What are some design principles that would serve the “wise consumer”?
A “wise consumer” would appeal to design principles that relate directly to a cause bigger than themselves. When purchasing a good or service, one might consider their possible selections’ effects on the Earthly environment. How will things like a good’s production, transportation, disposal, help/hinder our planet? Which service is most pragmatic to society? Perhaps they might also ask, what dynamic of people would benefit/ be harmed from me buying this product?
One example of a popular company whose consumer base is chock-full of “wise consumers” are Toms shoes. Every time someone buys a pair of Toms, Toms donates a pair of shoes to a child in a developing country. “Wise consumers” would see more than the appeal of just buying a stylish shoe by exuding transcendence into global communities.
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In conclusion, I consider my Uncle’s experience to be a perfect example of someone slowly evolving into a “wise consumer.” His experience has constructively aided him in his long-term process of becoming wise. His shift from Personal to Collective Well-Being won’t all happen at once, but a number of these experiences will do the trick.