We explain what our work and consumer behavior have to do with a cookie factory. And what questions you need to ask yourself if you want to reduce your shift on the cookie conveyor belt. One way to get back your energy is to enjoy your time at Bet22.
Let’s imagine the economy as something nice: a cookie factory. So big that it’s actually a cookie company. This cookie factory is supposed to produce more and more every year, preferably tirelessly. Because the economy loves growth. So more and more ingredients have to end up in the cookie machines, and the machines have to get bigger and bigger and run faster and faster.
If enough people have an appetite for cookies, the cookie ovens will glow and the cookie conveyor belts will run all day long. And preferably all night long. Everyone involved in the factory now also works all day. And sometimes all night. Because the cookies have to sell well, they can’t be too expensive, which is why the cookie ingredients have to be as cheap as possible. That’s why the ingredients are bought in huge quantities, no matter where in the world they come from. It doesn’t matter how the cookie ingredients are produced and transported to the cookie factory, so that damage is caused to the environment and the climate.
Next, let’s assume that we ourselves work in this cookie company, in the engine room of the economy, so to speak. The longer the machines run and the more cookies are bought, the more work we have to do. To ensure that every cookie buyer gets their favorite variety, there are cookie varieties to suit every taste. And to make sure that everyone knows about them, we also have lots of advertising and special offers.
OUR EXAMPLE
To be able to afford all these treats as an ordinary citizen, you need money. And not a little of it, because after all, you don’t just want to buy cookies, you also want to have a roof over your head. Who are these cookie buyers? Surprise: it’s us. Because our economy is not just an export company that sells good cookies to other planets. The workers and customers of the cookie factory are therefore us – in personal union.
So what does our life look like? That’s right: we’re happy to be able to work so much. We make cookies non-stop so that we can buy more and more cookies. And we can’t just stop doing that. If we stopped working, we might soon no longer have a roof over our heads. And if we stopped buying cookies, the economy would stop growing. That would also mean we would soon lose our jobs.
The cookie factory makes us pale and despondent
This cycle is not good for us. When we look in the mirror, we tend to look tired and pale. We also feel increasingly despondent because it’s getting warmer and warmer outside thanks to dwindling resources, which we seem to have little control over.
More work
The economy has to grow. Or was there something else? We rarely see the sun, don’t really make many decisions ourselves anymore and sometimes don’t particularly enjoy the free time we do have because we are often stressed. In addition, some of us are disgruntled because we feel that our work is not particularly worthwhile, either for ourselves or for the world. Because speed, turnover and increasing it are the main focus and are paid the best. As a result, many work in departments of the factory that are of no particular interest to them.
We trade freedom for freedom
Sometimes we suspect that there is a direct link between our full cookie jars and our daily work. Money and purchasing power offer us material freedom. This in turn gives us a sense of security. Stress and a lack of time, on the other hand, restrict our personal freedom.
However, there is one thing that cheers us up in our rare free time: cookies. While we are busy munching away, our society is not getting any happier. Because sugar is not really a spice.
However, the variety of goods and options we are offered every day makes us believe that we have to keep buying more and more to be happy. Advertising suggests that our status and satisfaction will increase once we have this or that. And because advertising doesn’t disappear once we’ve made a purchase, we always want more – maybe this time we’ll finally be happy.
