Be a Citizen. Don’t Be a Consumer.

In the movie “Say Anything” (apologies to those who haven’t seen this film, one of the funniest from the lost decade of the 1980s), there is a telling exchange between Lloyd Dobler and his closest friends, D.C. and Corey.  Lloyd is talking to his friends about trying to win back his former girlfriend and how he’s called her for the last time.  It goes like this:

D.C.:  Lloyd, why do you have to be like this?
Lloyd:  ‘Cause I’m a guy. I have pride.
Corey:  You’re not a guy.
Lloyd:  I am.
Corey:  No. The world is full of guys. Be a man. Don’t be a guy.

I feel like a similar dialog applies to the population of the United States at this point in history.  If Corey were offering advice to us, she might say, “No. The world is full of consumers.  Be a citizen.  Don’t be a consumer.”

Somewhere along the line, what and how much we purchase became more important than how we behave in civic life.  It can be attributed to any number of causes.  For example, marketers have been working for years to make us equate our self identity with our purchases.  They have effectively influenced us to believe that we are what we buy.  We have come to accept that we are defined by our clothing, car, handbag, square footage, etc.

The very word itself, “consumer,” has a pejorative connotation.  It is reminiscent of a bacterium that does nothing but eat away at its host.  There’s a reason that tuberculosis used to be called consumption.

As our lives as consumers have ramped up, our lives as citizens have fallen away.  Citizenship has devolved into consuming, paying taxes, obeying laws, and voting (at least occasionally).  It’s time to throw off the label of “consumers” and get back to being a society of citizens.

Here are 5 positive ways to take Corey’s advice and be a citizen – spending time on any or all of them might also reduce the urge to consume.  Also note that these are just ideas.  They are not meant to be preachy and they certainly don’t apply to everyone.
1. Stay informed.  It can be difficult with today’s media to stay informed about critical issues (and no, the quirks of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears don’t count), but what could be more important than a stable economy that functions within the limits given by the Earth?  Sustainability in society requires knowledge of practices that are and are not sustainable.
2. Get involved in community life.  Each of us has our own communities and our own possibilities for participating in them.  As be build and maintain communities (whether they are neighborhoods, church groups, musical ensembles, volunteer organizations, book clubs, etc.), we tend to care about the quality and sustainability of those communities.
3. Take responsibility for your actions.  It’s not hard to find any number of quotes about how responsibility needs to accompany freedom of choice.  We can all find ways to lighten our ecological footprints and support sustainability in our communities.
4. Spend time on things that matter.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the rat race, along with the material trappings that our wages can buy.  Whether playing with family members, volunteering in your community, or simply taking a break, society and individuals alike will benefit from a slowdown.
5. Get involved in political discussions.  These discussions can range from simple conversations with friends to negotiations with members of Congress.  If we don’t talk about sensible economic policies, who will?