By Rose Brown
How to Wean Yourself off Halloween Selfishness
October is here and Halloween is coming. Seth Godin, one of my favorite bloggers, tells us this week: Don’t Buy Cheap Chocolate. I can’t say it better than he does, so just go read the article. And when you’re done reading it, notice what popped up in your head. Did you have any instant defenses?
“But it’s tradition!”
“But I can’t afford better chocolate!”
“But I love the taste of that stuff!”
“But I only buy it once a year!”
Maybe your mind is trying to convince you that it’s okay to buy cheap chocolate this time, despite knowing what you know about the chocolate industry. But is it okay? Check in with yourself. I’m not in the habit of shaming or guilting anyone, but I do like to help people see when they’re setting themselves up for their own guilting and shaming. If some part of you cares about the poorest children in the world, then that part of you is probably going to feel shame and guilt over your purchase of junky candy, no matter how compelling your rationalizations seem.
And by the way, this is true of every choice we make as consumers (assuming you are a feeling and thinking human). If your purchases don’t align with your moral compass, then you get small or large doses of guilt and shame every time you make choices that contradict your values. There are many opportunities to be a more conscientious consumer. Halloween is your next big chance.