Life efficiency

First, i appreciate the title of this thread is not particularly precise, but the concept I'm trying to express is quite vague and general anyway.

There are loads of people, amongst them myself, who think the world in many ways is heading in the wrong direction - specifically in terms of consumer culture. Advertising tempts us with ideals of perfection and happyness, we subscibe to these ideals because we are susceptible and quite rightly want perfection and happyness- but the subscription is life long and the ideals either change or are (by definition) inattainable. So we live in constant desire, temporary gratification, and ultimate frustration, all the while consuming increasingly short term fixes - this increasing throw away attitude to things that doesnt help with resouces either....We spend our lives working so that we may consume, and miss out on a lot.

So how do you experience life outside this?
One example, and the reason I'm posting this here, is by cycling. It fufills transport needs (especially in a city), uses renewable energy very efficiantly, keeps you fit and healthy, and is fun. As a cyclist you are self sufficiant. There is a huge sense of freedom that come with all this. I think this will be obvious to all here anyway. What I want to know, and am asking you all, is how else do you accomplish this?

One other example from me is that I try and buy quality things that are made to last and look after them. So clothes, shoes etc...

[no idea what i would search for for this so sorry in advance is this is a regular topic of discussion]

Drugs

Drugs
isnt that opting out of life rather than living it?

Not with the drugs Cilveo takes.

Sarcasm helps a lot too.
That and foreign holidays.

Not with the drugs Cilveo takes.

Cilveo sounds very like a drug- are you trying to tell us something Brickkkk?

Maybe you should speak to this guy.

He is a friend of a friend and has been living in a tree house all summer.

@PicKle - is that Tim Henman?

"Advertising tempts us with ideals of perfection and happyness, we subscibe to these ideals because we are susceptible and quite rightly want perfection and happyness. So we live in constant desire, temporary gratification, and ultimate frustration"

Hang on, and you think that bicycles are a way out of this for people on here?

@andyp no his name is Nick Weston

Maybe you should speak to this guy.

He is a friend of a friend and has been living in a tree house all summer.

awesome - i've heard of people doing similar things. its pretty extreem but it points the way to maybe a more balanced life style.

"Advertising tempts us with ideals of perfection and happyness, we subscibe to these ideals because we are susceptible and quite rightly want perfection and happyness. So we live in constant desire, temporary gratification, and ultimate frustration"

Hang on, and you think that bicycles are a way out of this for people on here?

well yes i realise that there is a massive bike market feeding consumers' bike related desires but it doesnt have to be that way. you pay for the bike, and odds and ends to maintain it, but basically you can fix it and keep it going yourself.

nah it's defo tim henman.

“A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful women with only one eye”.

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.

Brilliant...

Drugs

• Midgets
  

And here I was thinking he was just a mediocre tennis player...

"How else do you accomplish this?"

Don't throw your stuff out if you can fix it or reuse it.
Don't buy new x if you don't need x.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Barter rather than buy.

Save up for things first, and then buy the very best you can afford. buy quality and longevity, and buy style over fashion.

Don't buy the one that is almost as good as the one you really want, because you'll know it isn't the one you really want, and you'll either be dissatisfied, or end up buying the one you really wanted anyway, and spending twice as much. If you can afford it buy the one you really want.

temporary gratification... how else do you accomplish this?

I won't go into details, but I discovered the answer when I was 11.

Badger burgers.

Nice.

I am particularly curious as to how they might taste though.

I have eaten badger. It didn't taste very nice.

Bugger badgers

Stop buying shit. Work less. Be happy.

There.

That's just the painkillers talking. You'll buy some tat/do some overtime/get depressed as soon as they wear off.

Gpwm.

Work harder; Buy more :o))

Work smarter, buy smarter.