[quote=paramount]That’s really an unsatisfying explanation (and largely incorrect) and really only address potential behavior in the moment. In the midst of a mob scene – well that part of the behavior is well understood.
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I thought that was the behavior you were referring to, as there was no indication otherwise. As far as it being unsatisfying, whether or not something satisfies you is irrelevant. As far as it being incorrect, you’re going to have to do more than just say it’s incorrect for it to carry any weight.
[quote=paramount]The real question is that given a choice to be home in bed (for most), why do some people choose in some cases to camp out on a cold sidewalk for days just to save a few bucks (maybe…). Or wait in line for hours on end in the cold to get a shot of saving a few messily bucks in most cases. Often just for ‘stuff’ – so it’s not for survival.
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Fair enough. But I don’t see how you can unequivocally say that that’s irrational behavior. Stampeding over other humans and hysterically screaming and pushing and grabbing, I can see as irrational (which is why I thought that was the behavior you were referring to). But spending 6 hours in line to save $100? That could easily be considered rational behavior for many. What if you make $8.50 an hour? What if you want to work as many hours as you can but can’t find more work? Maybe you shouldn’t be buying an XBox, but that’s a different discussion. If you’re going to buy one, and you can save $100 on and XBox or a laptop or a big screen TV, and all you have to do is sit around for 6 hours, it could easily make sense for a person. I don’t think most people don’t wait in line for that long, though. I think most people wait in line for an hour or two, maybe three, and for them they’d have to save even less for it to make sense.
[quote=paramount]
Q: What reasoning sets in motion that makes Black Friday so appealing in the 1st place? Is it the hype? No, not really.
A: It’s an addiction – an addiction to consumerism and the drive to maintain an illusion of a living standard that is not sustainable.
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Interesting theory. What evidence do you have for this?
[quote=paramount]
Could that addiction and illusion be partially induced by chemicals, much like a smoker is addicted to cigarettes via nicotine. Diminishing ones ability to make rational choices. Sure, it is possible.[/quote]
Sure, it’s possible. Anything is possible. But first, you assume that your addiction theory is correct, which you haven’t shown it to be. Second, even if your theory is correct, an addiction to consumerism being “partially induced by chemicals” would be nothing like a smoker being addicted to cigarettes via nicotine. With nicotine there is a direct link to the addictive behavior. In your theory, apparently, these chemicals would have some unspecified and unknown affect on the brain diminishing one’s ability to make rational choices. Not similar at all.
But my question was, and still is, why do you think this is one of the best explanations? What evidence is there for it?
And I’d still be interested to hear whether you think the government should regulate these chemicals if they’re show to be dangerous.
