A lovely modern guide to Epicurus, and my own question

[The Voice of Time]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irornIAQzQY

At ~24 minutes.

After watching this, it makes me think: is advertisement a great barrier to modern happiness? I mean, why do we allow people to pollute our visual and auditory environment in such a way? If it's presentation that is the problem, then why are we simply not just giving a fixed amount of our time (at flexible hours) to see introductions to new products and ideas? A kind of citizenry duty to evaluate the prospects of what we should invest collective effort in to mass produce and mass distribute and what we should make part of our stock of consumed products... ?

It would be much more reasonable. Advertisement is a kind of anarchy really, with some civilized countries hopefully having introduced some restrictions to it (alcohol, smoking, and so forth), but in context of totality they are very weak restrictions. In the end, this pollution appears for me both by experience of myself and others to be blocking sight for our own choices, and giving a beneficial order to our own lives but more importantly the life we have as a society, as a collective of humans. It not only appear to pollute each one of us as individuals, but when we try to reason and talk with other people, the ideas of advertisement seems to creep in to our social lives and because we can't ignore it totally or fully enough we have to assume that other people see them and believe them more than we really do! And we can't ask either everyone we meet what they have seen in terms of advertisement, but not just advertisement, but also its father: branding. Coca cola for instance, it seems to have crept into our lives as a standard drink that we have and serve our guests (at least in Norway), but also other forms of popular beverage, how often do we ask if people really needs it or wants it?

What if what they really need is a glass of milk ^^ or water? Because of the extent and reach of coca cola it is assumed that it's a reasonable drink to serve, but not because it is needed or wanted necessarily, but simply because it exists in the public consciousness, and existing there it becomes something for which we assume other people to know and have an established relationship with. With advertisement in general there is also that problem with creating associations to a product as being related to good things when there's no grounds for having this association. It is building block to unhealthy compulsion, that in times of weak will takes us into following paths that has no reasonable gain for us proportional to what we really need and should invest our time in. To me, it appears as if advertisement simply is the devil of ethical reasoning, the devil that tries to deceive us from actually making philosophical ethical choices and ordering our lives after what should be...

[Skip]

I don't have to watch a video right now, but will be back for it, since the question really interests me. And is, btw, very well expressed.

then why are we simply not just giving a fixed amount of our time (at flexible hours) to see introductions to new products and ideas? A kind of citizenry duty to evaluate the prospects of what we should invest collective effort in to mass produce and mass distribute and what we should make part of our stock of consumed products... ?

What an admirably intelligent approach that would be! Save a huge amount of resources that are now wasted (not to mention polluting) on products that are either unnecessary or harmful.

Most advertising is dishonest, as well as manipulative - and it`s becoming unavoidable.

[Skip]

Okay, it's a good presentation. True, as well, pretty much.

Here is what I've been thinking about lately. A guy on another forum said something about political parties becoming what the consumer wanted: after all, it's a marketplace. Another time, he said much the same thing about media: after all, it's a marketplace.
Something is wrong with this picture!

Well, no - it's not all marketplace. Communities are supposed to have a marketplace, yes. But they're also supposed to have an agora, an amphitheater, a sports arena, a temple, an academy, a hospice; baths, parks, beaches, playgrounds, dancehalls, pubs and restaurants... a whole lot of different places to meet and talk and do things together, for a whole lot of reasons that have nothing to do with trade and commerce. To turn all communal structures into markets and all human interaction into exchanges of money is to compress society into a one tenth or less of its functions.

That's what money-culture does. That's what advertising is the voice of - a voice so loud, it drowns out everything else.
No wonder most of us are crazy, broke and miserable!

[marjoramblues]

Watched on 4oD - which is reliant on advertisement revenue.

Alain Botton: 'Join me after the break'
2 minutes later...

'Counter' action counteracted.
Use of 'philosophical' ads:
* Happiness not included

( however, philos are usually not in the business of ad-making, haven't enough money to do such, or are too busy painting their toenails, if they actually exist)

Encounters of a philosophical kind; mall-to-wall philosophy is the answer, really?
Alain talks about the Epicurean ideals of Friendship, Freedom and an analysed life to attain Happiness. Philosophy > Creed of financial freedom, communitarian spirit, the real wealth of philosophy.
But hey, what did it take to reach this 'Ideal' - yup, a wealthy Diogenes. And was it really so idyllic?

So, in the Now World, a real mulitcultural one, which Mission Creep will philos fight next...

{As far as I can see, there has been nothing ventured on:
Gender segregation at universities...and the apparent pandering to Islamic funding.
The Market Place of Education.
http://www.channel4.com/news/pandering- ... egregation
Student and academic protests apparently not heeded, and indeed now banned.
It takes the PM to step in }

Let's face it - today's philosophers are all yak, without power or influence in people's lives.
It's all very well to talk of 'Constant Vigilance' *, but then what ?
{* ref Simon Blackburn PN article discussion: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=11985}

What kind of a Philo Ad could zoom into a room and shake it up a little?
And how much money would it take...where would it come from...
The Friendship, Freedom and Foughtful Congregation?

[marjoramblues]

Voice: After watching this, it makes me think: is advertisement a great barrier to modern happiness? I mean, why do we allow people to pollute our visual and auditory environment in such a way?

How could Advertisement alone bar anyone from attaining happiness?
I don't watch much telly and I usually mute ads, but the visuals remain - the current Smirnoff Snake ad might seduce some, but it sickens me
What can be done?

[marjoramblues]

Voice: ...why are we simply not just giving a fixed amount of our time (at flexible hours) to see introductions to new products and ideas? A kind of citizenry duty to evaluate the prospects of what we should invest collective effort in to mass produce and mass distribute and what we should make part of our stock of consumed products... ?

M: There are some programmes devoted to quirky new producst; also consumer watchdog types...
There was a good one recently re 'Outlets' and attraction to brand-names.

An individual, however, has to do quite a bit of research to find out which products would suit own particular needs.

If anyone would like to show some citizenry duty and make it easy for me to evaluate X,Y,or Z, then I am all eyes and ears.
Anytime, any place, anywhere...there's a wonderful world we can share

[marjoramblues]

'A lovely modern guide...'

based on Alain de Botton's 'The Consolations of Philosophy'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Consol ... Philosophy
{with some critical responses}

The book was the inspiration for the Channel 4 TV series Philosophy: A Guide To Happiness. The series was produced mirroring the book's layout with the following six episodes:
1.Socrates on Self-Confidence
2.Epicurus on Happiness
3.Seneca on Anger
4.Montaigne on Self-Esteem
5.Schopenhauer on Love
6.Nietzsche on Hardship

Great marketing, whot?