23 Comments
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Tricia Walton's avatar

A thought ~

What about someone who “creates” a beautiful, lovingly prepared meal for someone they care for.

Time and effort put into the planning and choosing wholesome, vibrant ingredients with combining their skill and love, because they are passionate about food and showing their care, through tending to others.

Not just lazily throwing something together and heated in a microwave, just going through the motions.

Then it is “consumed” and taken in by their loved one. Nourishment for their body*mind*spirit. A shared experience.

This could be considered a beneficial act of “consumption”….

Yes?!

I love you and I love your post!

✨💛✨

I never knew you used to watch Cribs on MTV. 😊

Mom

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Had my own comment but would rather highlight this one. Beautiful up-leveling of thoughts on this consumption/creation dynamic, especially since it's coming from someone who created the author! : )

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Arman Khodadoost's avatar

It took my mom 3 years to leave her first comment and of course it was a banger!

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Rick Lewis's avatar

Indeed, it was!

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Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Excellent point mom. I hadn't considered this but you're right. This is a wonderful example of meaningful consumption. And I might be biased, but you are the best creator of nourishing meals :) love you too!

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Catherine Hiller's avatar

I love that your mom reads and comments! My sons occasionally comment on my Substack, The Pleasure Principle, and that makes me very happy.

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Arman Khodadoost's avatar

She has been my biggest supporter since day 1 but had always been too nervous to leave a comment. It's so nice knowing your loved ones appreciate your writing!

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Angeline Chandran's avatar

I've just started creating and I can tell you that shit's hard! So this can't come at a better time.

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Arman Khodadoost's avatar

It is hard. And after 3 years, I can confirm it doesn't ever get any easier. But it's worth it! Keep going Angeline :)

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Angeline Chandran's avatar

Haha, that's encouraging!

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Larry Urish's avatar

Good points.

To me, conspicuous hyper-consumption is the most direct way to mask our individual and collective spiritual emptiness. And I’m not immune to this insanity.

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Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Absolutely Larry. I don't think any of us are immune from this affliction. I wrote this because I've often been the biggest offender!

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Daniel Catena's avatar

I fondly remember Cribs and Pimp My Ride. Everything went downhill from there haha. I agree with you, Arman. Being able to make a joke is maybe the hardest thing to create in my opinion.

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Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Haha pimp my ride! forgot about that one but it was a classic too. After trying to add a pinch of humor to my writing, I have so much more respect for comedians who are able to do it on stage in front of an audience.

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Benjamin Lawson's avatar

I'm in my 30s no TikTok...no social media at all since 2016 =)...just Substack if that qualifies. It takes restraint and deliberate effort to resist the consumption trap as our society and economy is built around it.

Thank you for the read as always!!

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Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Glad I'm not alone! Wow almost 10 years of no social media, very impressive. Do you miss it? I certainly dont.

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Benjamin Lawson's avatar

Not even a bit…for me anyway, it just felt like superficial socializing…connected because I liked but not real…whereas now, sure, maybe I only keep in regular contact without maybe a dozen people, but it’s more intentional and real…to me. To each their own of course :-)

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Karena's avatar

This was such a powerful essay. I’m going back for a re-read with a pencil handy.

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Arman Khodadoost's avatar

Thank you Karena. That may be the best compliment I've ever received :)

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CansaFis Foote's avatar

…cribs should have been a one episode show…Redman and that’s it…i’m surrounded by opulence and its even worse cousin greed out here in the bay…did you know that jeff bezos has a baby yacht inside of his yacht as in his yacht is big enough to hold a yacht…no man needs that yet the world has given it and he has coveted and taken it…hell what is A.I. if not one of the most gluttonous mindless forms of consumption our species has ever created…this is our hallmark…we are the gorilla creating credit cards…

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Arman Khodadoost's avatar

haha i've heard bezos's private jet also has a baby private jet. maybe he can teach us the subtle art of posing in front of private jets one day?

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Dinah's avatar

I still don't have TikTok either. Never getting it. I would just lose myself for hours and feel terrible after. I have removed Instagram from my phone, too, for this same reason. Too much doom scrolling!

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Praveen Raina's avatar

ditto. somehow i abhor TIKTOK

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