Manipulated?

As a society, to what extent are we manipulated by forces around us that we aren't aware of? Our televisions constantly proclaim the value of that double cheeseburger, or the latest technological marvel to make our lives better, quicker, and easier, but is this all there is to life? Must we stampede up the corporate ladder of success to make our existence worthwhile? It seems like too often we get trapped into a little world that we make for ourselves. Full of self-indulgence, we hurriedly seek to placate our "needs" and desires. Too often, I believe, we miss what is really important in life. Ten years from now, we will look back across this decade and wonder what we might have done to make it a better one. I can only suggest that the next time we go out to by another fabulous car or the latest, greatest fad, we think about what we might have done to ease the suffering of some person elsewhere on this rock. Advertising constantly seeks us to see what our world might be like if we had this or that, but perhaps, with our immense wealth, we should focus on different ideals. I think here in North America we have a culture of, "Here I am, come entertain me." I am as completely wrapped up in this mindset as anyone else that I know. Even today, I was trolling the forums, looking something cheap and fun and techy. But how much could I do if I ceased to care about material possessions? They do make my life better, in some ways, but I sometimes wonder how much easier a simpler life would be. When you are not totally engaged with your stuff, that leaves an awful lot of time to bond with family, friends, and do a good deed or two. This is the second day of October, and I would challenge everyone to take a good hard look at their next purchase, and consider the sacrifice of donating the cost of it to someone truly in need. I just watched The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise, and being in my class of semiotics made me think about things a little. Certainly enlightening, I could see more clearly how the director used certain scenes to manipulate the audience into feeling or thinking a certain way. It made for a great movie, but it also made me think about how much this is done in real life, not for entertainment purposes, but to part us of our hard-earned shekels. I am guessing that by tomorrow, I will have these thoughts ripped out of my head by the latest consumer fashion, and I will be driven to buy more and better. How pathetic. I think that the only reason all of this works is that we are located here, among the wealthy, so we don't feel the slightest bit guilty about our excess. I am betting it would be significantly more difficult to live like a Sultan in the middle Tanzania, where most people struggle to eat enough to survive. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow, unfortunately, so... things will be busy around here. Anatomy, math, and semiotics all need attending to.