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The Hidden Door Analysis

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Safely housed within three stories houses, acquiring desires with a click of a button, and with the ability to move from one location to another faster than what should be possible, humans have constructed a bubble of comfort around themselves in order to deny the possibility of extinction that lurks around the outside and threatens to enter. Since humanity established themselves on the Earth, they have become increasingly more consumeristic; we are driven by our proclivity to want more. Mark A. Burch’s book (2013) entitled The Hidden Door: Mindful Sufficiency as an Alternative to Extinction addresses the concern of consumer culture and suggests mindful sufficiency as a contrasting lifestyle to the present consumerism. In dialogue with Burch, …show more content…

In relation to technology, Burch makes reference to the unnecessary updates thrown at individuals with phones, computers, or tablets. Anyone with, or who has had, an old phone knows the frustration of this. Phone companies purposely design updates, although completely unnecessary, which will slow down the software considerable, forcing you to buy a newer model. You cannot even ignore the updates because after a while, your phone cannot function without them. Technology is in the hands of consumer culture and is manipulating society. Situations such as this one are subtly dropped throughout the book to keep the reader engaged in a solution to consumer …show more content…

Coming for a background where this idea is not entirely new, I was able to pick out strands of Burch’s work and both see how I have already integrated some of these aspects into my life and how those changes are the first step to the larger picture. Some criticism which I had was both the language used and the structuring of the book. I found mindfulness to be an exclusive word that not everyone would be comfortable using and as a result, it discouraged the full immersion into the book. In addition, the mountainous content was overwhelming and caused not only stress, but confusion of where to start applying voluntary simplicity. In conclusion, I find The Hidden Door: Mindful Sufficiency as an Alternative to Extinction helpful to understanding the boarder application and effects of voluntary simplicity, but I think it is more useful as a resource for those who are more acquainted with the subject and have perhaps considered, or even started, applying this lifestyle to their

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He also says that because the consumer is experiencing what the expert and planner want them to, it means that they are being cheated or are missing out because they are being told what to see and experience. This causes the consumer to see and experience things through the lenses of the expert and planner. This takes away the ability of letting the consumer experience things how they would like or want. In

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111). The main reason why this is one of my favorite aspects of this book is that it encourages “reasonable down-selling” (Spoelestra, 1997, p. 112). I think that too often salespeople try to only upsell customers, and that can end in a bad experience for the customer, or not sale for the organization at all. I believe that if all salespeople abide by this rule, then organizations will be more successful, as customers will actually be purchasing something they actually want and will enjoy, which increases the chance that they will be a repeat

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He uses examples all the way back to when the printing press was first invented, and the influence citizens thought it would have on intellect, to the founders of Google and how their goal of artificial intelligence. Most prominent example would be how the influence of technology changed the style of, German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche's work. After he started having a hard time with his vision he purchased a type writer, that after he learned how to touch type, aloud him to write with his eyes closed and once again record his thoughts. If you read Carr's article you will come across the selection where a correspondence between Nietzsche and a German media scholar, Friedrich A. Kittler, describe how his “style” of writing has changed after he changed the medium of his writing. This sums up the claim that advancements in technology tend to effect how we think and therefore the actions that we

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Technology is becoming a more significant influence in today's society as each day passes. People become more reliant on technology which can end up being bad. As technology advances, people make more advancements to make everyday tasks easier for people, which can lead to everyone being dependent on technology. In the texts “The Veldt” and “Cooking Time” the two authors Ray Bradbury and Anita Roy talk about technology advancements and the society it creates. Bradbury and Roy use the conventions of science fiction to critique society on how scientific advancements can be bad.

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The novel also makes a unyielding point about the dangers of consumerism, emphasizing how creativity and individualism can be reduced by allowing the government and media to think for them. Perhaps the most important feature of the book is that readers understand the value of imagination and cultural heritage. These points would not be understood or accepted by readers if the novel failed to follow narrative structure, which is undeniably the most important aspect of any literary

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Technology Takeover Technology is taking over the lives of peoples in many ways and for many reasons as shown in “Taking Multitasking to Task” by Mark Harris and Fahrenheit 451 written by Ray Bradbury. The idea that technology would one day be indispensable in our lives seemed like a far fetch idea years ago, however today, rarely is there an hour where humans are not using technology in one form or another. Certain characters in Fahrenheit 451 exhibit the unintended consequences of the overuse of technology. These effects are also present in our own lives and society. Mark Harris opened up about his issues in the past about the overconsumption of technology.

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The average American is exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements a day (Marshall). This can include emails, commercials, billboards, and many others. Advertising is a means of informing choice to its viewers, and it is vital to the success of any business. Although advertising is necessary, over the past fifteen years, advertising has had a negative effect on culture by encouraging conformity and having harmful effects on self-esteem as well as financial status.

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Mark Spitz states that “he was crestfallen when he ate at another location for the first time” and he recognized the “same stuff on the wall” (189). This moment is crucial because it emphasizes how even the most precious and sentimental aspects of our life are a result of consumer culture. Many aspects cleverly crafted to appear as a one-of-a-kind product or experience actually result in a slightly customizable template. Similarly, Sorensen explains consumerism as “the capacity to realize and replicate itself by borrowing against the guaranteed promise of the future as the site of more of the same and of endlessness of reproduction without difference” (562-3). Whitehead further supports this idea by illuminating the reproduction of a one-of-a-kind

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Being sucked into technology is like only seeing straight ahead, and not aware that the entire world is there. When someone is so focused in their own world it makes people become distant and not aware of other people, and being aware of people starts conversation and communication, which has been lost between nearly every citizen living in their society. Montag remembers, “One time, as a child, in a power failure, his mother had found and lit a last candle and there had been a brief hour of rediscovery, of such illumination that space lost its vast dimensions…and they, mother and son, alone, transformed, hoping that the power might not come on again too soon” (5). Technology pulls people apart, and when technology is not operational, people come together again and the feeling changes the perspective from which one views technology. The technology, in addition, is creating an “illusion bubble” which causes people to think that they are safe and content, but in reality, however, there is an atomic war happening, and technology causes people to think that their “bubble” is reality; they cannot tell what is real and what is not.

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The concept of consumerism was first brought to my awareness in First Year Writing. I admit, before this intro course, I was indeed ignorant of the negative impacts that consumption had on society. FYS opened my mind to the dangers of over-consumption, and more importantly, helped me see beyond what meets the eye. Take for example, Disney, a seemingly innocent corporation, a company’s whose name is practically synonymous with the notion of childhood innocence. Upon initial judgement, one would assume that Disney is merely harmless family entertainment.

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Statistics show that today there are over 1.7 billion members of the “consumer class”- half of them being in the developing world (2011, the World Watch Institute). Being part of the consumer class myself, I believe it is crucial to dispense a great deal of money on goods and services to improve the economy here in Canada. Does this mean I’m considered to be a consumer as a result of my views on world consumption? Yes, I fit into the category of a consumer due to the fact that I’m part of the endless cycle of supply and demand. From the moment I leave my house and walk the two minutes to the bus stop I’m already thinking about what I’m going to buy.

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Technology has always been progressing thus it is rampant in our society today. We use technology; depend on technology in our daily life and our needs and demands for technology keep on rising (Ramey, 2012). Wherever you look, you will see people holding different kinds of technology like cell phone, laptop, tablets and etc. It appears to most of us that technology is a necessity to the point where we can no longer live without it. According to Gavin (2013), technology moves at a rapid pace, and can be hard to keep up with at times.

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In our society today, every individual’s ideas can be exchanged in various creative forms. The short film medium, being a form of social commentary, is a pertinent driving force behind shifts in personal values. Thus short films as a textual form have great value and impact to society due to their versatile delivery. Steve Cutts’ Happiness (2017) is a satirical film whose fast-paced nature prioritises meaning over matter to critique the constant pursuit of happiness in misplaced interests. Erez Tadmor and Guy Nattiv’s Strangers (2003) depicts a singular scenario and builds tension to convey the overcoming of entrenched racial divides.

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