Capitalism Creates Hungry Ghosts

Learning to forego the allure of new

I pet-sit a lot. It’s how I travel, because otherwise I can’t afford to travel. I love taking care of people’s pets and houses. Each house has a different spirit, imbued with the spirits of all who live and have lived there. Sometimes the house spirits are grounded. Sometimes they’re chaotic. Sometimes they’re light or dark or disturbing.

I’ve noticed something about houses, and the kinds of houses I prefer. I love sparseness— or maximalism, in an artistic sense, but many houses feel stagnant; stuffed with possessions. Unused purchases fill drawers and cupboards: rotting art supplies, unworn clothing; baskets and baskets of skincare products, barely used or never opened. Hundreds or thousands of dollars spent to fill one’s drawers and cabinets.

This summer I started thinking about how I spend my money, and what it means to buy things. Why, when I have what I need, do I buy more? Why do we buy more? Why don’t we give away what we have before it wastes away into nothing?

I think we know …