The branded woman.

Many people wish to tread more lightly on the earth. I am one of them- but I am suspicious of this when it is bundled up and sold to us at a premium price as a sort of designer label.

How can consuming less cost more?

It is interesting that women react to brands more strongly than do men. Brands exert their power over women by promising a magical transformation they cannot deliver. Advertisements aimed at women will often contain no real information (particularly the rely 'girly' products like perfume or underwear). The advertisements consist mainly of a beautiful woman's face lost in a state of emotional or sexual rapture.

In effect the woman is being sold an ideal image of herself.

Men fall for this as well, of course. A BMW is only a car. It will take us from A to B like any other car but we believe we will feel different if we own one. This is completely irrational and is largely how we got stuck in our present debt trap.

We are stuck with being ourselves, I am afraid.