Comments on: When All Else Fails, Shop?

By: Richard Clark

Richard Clark — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 22:50:48 +0000

Isn’t that why we do all of this?

By: Alan Noble

Alan Noble — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:04:47 +0000

@Dianna
Anytime I write a post I want someone to think of their mother. So yay! On a serious note, I’m glad I was able to help formulate these ideas for you.

@The Dane
Man, it’s been far too long since I’ve had a Dane comment on one of my posts. I need to write more.

By: Alan Noble

Alan Noble — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 15:11:54 +0000

Good point, and I think that contradiction gets to the heart of why my wife and I still occasionally hang out in stores and do not feel that it is wrong. To the extent that we are really spending time together, it is a good activity.

By: The Dane

The Dane — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 07:18:08 +0000

Good article but I have one critique:

By making a habit of going to stores in order to hang out with my wife, I am treating the store not as a means to an end–a place to go to get products which I will use to serve some purpose–but as an end to itself.

Your error here is one of self-contradiction. “I am treating the store as an end to itself” does not fit with “Going to stores in order to hang out with my wife.” You are not treating a visit to the store as an end in itself, because you have already given it a much (dare I say?) nobler goal: spending time with your wife.

This doesn’t discount the rest of your critique or convictions. It merely points out that you may not need to look for greater justification for your store visits because your wife is justification enough.

By: Dianna

Dianna — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:08:28 +0000

This post made me think of my mother. Because my dad works full time and she’s only a part time adjunct professor, she’s home alone a lot, and therefore gets bored really quickly. So she goes to Target and just walks around looking at stuff. She very frequently buys one or two things at the very least, but always has the cart in case she needs it. It’s…interesting, to say the least. You’ve put words to my unease about this habit – one that I developed on slightly different level when I moved away from home.

When I go to Barnes and Noble to waste time looking at books, picking up and reading sections of some, often leaving with some new venture in reading, while countless others sit at home, half read, what does that say about me as a consumer? Why do I have to go out for the entertainment when I have a bunch of books already sitting at home waiting to be read?

Good thoughts raising some good questions. Thanks.