Alienable (not Inalienable) Right to Buy

Published on January 1, 2025 12:19 PM GMTWe have overly simplistic principles of market organization that don't square with human reality, giving too much freedom to indulge our short-term impulses, and not enough tools to help our disciplined, long-term selv…
Prof. Darron Johns · 26 days ago · 3 minutes read


Rethinking Consumption Culture: Empowering the Long-Term Self

The Issue: Outsized Consumption and Powerless Individuals

Our current market structure fails to reflect human psychology, giving individuals excessive freedom to indulge in short-term impulses and insufficient tools to resist temptation. This leads to widespread over-consumption, harming individuals' long-term well-being. To address this, we need to reconsider our notions of "markets" and "freedom."

"Markets let us buy anything society can produce, anytime. At first glance, that sounds great... The crux? Society fails to empower us to undo this if ever we want to."

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Selves

Individuals are not fully rational or self-controlled. We have both a short-term self, driven by immediate desires, and a long-term self, concerned with our future well-being. Society currently fails to support the long-term self in its struggle against temptation.

"My cash, my bank card, my supermarkets, my energy-wasting hot shower, essentially the entire society: Right now, none cares about supporting my long-term self in her fight against short-termie."

Empowering the Long-Term Self

To address this, we need to give the long-term self legal and practical power to restrict the short-term self's consumption choices. This is not a burden that should be borne by individuals alone; societal solutions are essential.

"In contrast to some life-hack type solutions, we should understand there is zero reason to think this shall be the burden of the individual alone. We should seek legal & practical societal level solutions to enable the long-term self to reign in short-termie."

Practical Solutions

Practical solutions could include:

  • Self-programmable purchase blockers on bank accounts
  • Programmable locks on refrigerators and food cupboards
  • Legal recourse for sellers who provide goods or services to individuals without evidence of the long-term self's consent

"If you say that all won't work: Yes, nothing I could propose might work or make sense out of the box. Evolution. We must dare think of the problem this type of system can solve, then we'll gradually find solutions, with trial-and-error as in all domains."

Addressing Objections

Critics may argue that these solutions would weaken willpower or be too costly. However, pragmatism dictates that the benefits outweigh the risks. The staggering health problems caused by over-consumption demand innovative solutions.

A Libertarian Perspective

Far from being a libertarian nightmare, this system empowers individuals to restrict themselves in advance. It adds a dimension of choice and could lead to the legalization of more goods and services by allowing individuals to opt out of their impulsive consumption.

"This system is more libertarian than what we currently have because it adds another dimension of choice: the choice to restrict yourself in advance. It's a 'choose to not be able to choose' option."

The Role of AI

AI assistants integrated into financial accounts and devices could assist individuals in restricting consumption and supporting long-term goals.

"If we can integrate them into our bank accounts, have them observe and restrict - with enough authority - our shopping or our picking-stuff-from-the-fridge in the way we tell it before, quite something might already be gained."

Rethinking our approach to consumption and empowering the long-term self is crucial for creating a society that supports our true well-being.