Free Custom «Giving and Receiving» Essay Paper

It takes someone to decide in life on what to buy and what not to buy. The willpower defined will state and look at simple everyday purchase on what exactly someone wants. The desire to choose and decide what to buy and what not to buy are some of the things that made Judith Levine describe adventures in her book “Not Buying it: My Year Without Shopping”(p2,Feb 28,2006)

From her interview with “Love To Know” (LTK), she gave reasons as to why during some given period in a year, especially holidays, people spend more than other times. She says that at times a sense of obligation is supposed to be given out by someone. A feeling of generosity develops and this welcomes the opportunity to give. During holidays, there is nothing to blame, since at the beginning of civilizations people get to celebrate on rituals, worship, feast, drink alcohol together, dance, sacrifice animals and this results to giving with generosity.

She says that at times you are supposed to make a list of the items you need. The rationale for this is in the general principle according to which you buy the necessities and not the luxuries. Judith adds that one time she longed for purchase experiences. She missed the ice cream which was a social experience. During times of boredom, someone will be forced to spend the way he or she spends. You really have to figure out what is bugging you up, or again live with that feeling, which often passes. Many people have feelings to buy several items to satisfy themselves but again the budget constraint is our major limit. So Levine urges that we consider the needs first in order to make purchases. We should rationalize what we need by calling these things as needs. The example is when someone says that he needs a pair of black shoes to wear with that clothe.

 

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In her adventure, we are meant to understand how to cut down on our consumerism. Luvine's experiment helps us witness and learn on what exactly is supposed to be done. She lets us understand that in North America buying food requires money. She, therefore, goes ahead and defines necessity. The use of high speed internet access, Q tips and also soap fancier are not regarded as luxuries. She investigates on many ant consumer movements and joins her local Voluntary Simplicity group and participates in the Buy Nothing Day. Through consulting experts on issues of consumerism, her big account is defined by her desire to keep down her day to day consumption on goods and, hence, defining the line between a want and a need.

Some cultures, as the French anthropologist Marcel Mauss says, pretend to have explicit economies. According to their principles, giving is done for the self interest. Rules that govern those interests and lend them value are not material.

In conclusion, the author says that giving always establishes a relationship and it does not matter what type of relationships exist between the giver and the recipient. She supports her argument by saying that, whatever the gift may be, from mother's milk to seashell, from college endowments to promise, the one who gives it dominates. I want to agree with Judith that whoever gives has the dominance, since in the society people with material wealth are considered to be the ones who get consulted even on simple issues because people regard them as self actualized fellows who can help in times of need. So they dominate others in the society.