Philosophy of futility

Philosophy of futility

Philosophy of futility is a phrase coined by Columbia University marketing professor Paul Nystrom to describe the disposition caused by the monotony of the new industrial age. Nystrom observed the natural effect of this malaise was seeking gratification found in frivolous things, such as fashionable "apparel and goods used in one's immediate surroundings." This tendency, he theorized, could be used to increase consumption of fashionable goods and services, resulting in a vicious circle of dissatisfaction and the desire for new consumer goods.

The following is a quotation from Nystrom's "Economics of Fashion" (1928), often cited by historians and analysts of marketing, consumerism, and commercialism:

References


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