Canvas by Emily Levitt

Paul Bloom's Central Thesis

egl46 — 2024-09-28 13:45:38 UTC

Luxury items are entrenched in our emotions and our psychology. They make you feel a sense of pride in presenting yourself to others. It is not just the material value that makes an item alluring, but the significance it can symbolize and the history behind it. Bloom writes, "We respond to what we believe are object's deeper properties, including their histories" (Bloom 7). Luxury items are often considered wealthy, high in social status, and can show your distinctive identity. Our desire for luxury is compelled by fulfillment, connection, expression, and status rather than practicability. Bloom expresses, "Most people own things that they don't really need. It is worth thinking about why" (Bloom 3). Practicability isn't always the most important factor in someone's happiness while feeling good about yourself is a top priority it is also connecting happiness and status as one.

(secondary)

People own things they don’t need.

egl46 — 2024-09-28 13:49:37 UTC

Things are just things until a meaning becomes attached to them. A nail color is just a nail color until the color becomes viral and everyone starts getting it. If you have that nail color you are on trend and and are up to status. Bloom writes, "If such purchases are motivated by status enhancement, they become positional goods: their value is determined by what other people possess"(Bloom 3). You are fulfilled when the status you want to achieve is met. It is almost a sense of gratification within yourself. "The pleasure we get from these objects is genuine and aesthetic, not mostly sensory" (Bloom 8). Aesthetic is the appreciation of beauty. While getting that certain nail color because it is on trend it is also appreciating the beauty of it, and how that beauty can make you feel. Feeling beautiful is a genuine feeling. Even though buying things that you don't need is looked down upon it can provide the particular happiness that is craved by fitting in.

(secondary)

An object’s importance is its place in history.

egl46 — 2024-09-28 13:49:59 UTC

An object's history is what gives it its value. Bloom writes, "Thus the history of an object matters to the pleasure we get from it" (Bloom 6). The sentimental worth of an object and the stories behind it give it its place in society. Celebrities also create worth within an object, "There have been Ebay auctions for Barak Obama's half-eaten breakfast and Britney Spears's chewed-up bubble gum" (Bloom 6). Celebrities create a world of meaningful objects just because they have come in contact with them. When someone sees what their favorite celebrity is eating they want to eat the same thing. It is seeking conformity within someone you look up to or just plainly adore. An object's historical stature goes beyond its physical qualities by making it a treasured part of our lives.

(secondary)

Aesthetic

egl46 — 2024-10-04 16:40:57 UTC

Being "aesthetic" has become an important factor in feeling beautiful. It is an inspiration to try different products. Products that are considered aesthetic are on trend for what they represent. It creates a feeling of happiness when you feel the beauty that is connected to being aesthetic. That is why buying a product for the aesthetic gives a sense of pride to the consumer.

(secondary)

Celebrities

egl46 — 2024-10-04 16:46:56 UTC

Celebrities are an influence on everyone. What one wears and does doesn't just affect them but all of their fans. They are role models. The products they use everyone wants to use.

(secondary)

Signaling Theory

egl46 — 2024-10-04 17:01:14 UTC

This theory explains how when a product is shown to two different people the signal it is trying to get across can be completely different to each of them. "Advertisements are often pure signaling fantasies" (Bloom 2). Items are fantasies. For example, a million-dollar car can be labeled as a fantasy. One takes that signal and fantasizes while another just sees a normal car in front of them. Signaling creates the framework for understanding what an individual's meaning is when buying certain items.

(secondary)

Conformity

egl46 — 2024-10-04 18:40:30 UTC

Conformity is the compliance with standards, rules, or laws. It is the desire to fit in and be accepted. It takes away one's individuality which aligns with societal norms. That is why when buying an item that you don't need you are conforming to society's standards, rules, or laws.

(secondary)