Selling Contentment or Consumerism?
Solving the contentment problem through materialism
As I was mindlessly scrolling on Instagram (and simultaneously regretting my return to social media), I came across a reel captioned, “People don’t buy products; they buy solutions to their problems." This struck me. I have recently started an Etsy shop to sell mugs with inspiring reminders. As I read their caption, I wondered how my mug could solve my clients’ problems. I am rattling my brain in writing, trying to figure that out.
Now, I am aware of the art of persuasion. However, as a Muslim, I have conflicting feelings about this marketing approach. By planting a seed of desire in my clients’ minds, am I ethically justified in selling them my Islamic inspirational mugs? Am I depriving them of the precious gift of contentment? Am I yet another culprit, feeding their consumerist greed? Do all business owners exploit their clients? Are we offering “solutions” to the problems that we are “creating” through birthing temptation and feeding their materialistic minds?
Perhaps you and I are both thinking that I may not have a cutthroat business mindset. Maybe, it’s just pure guilt for selling more desire at the cost of contentment. It could also be just my brain that feels so repulsed by materialism (and consciously adopting a minimalist lifestyle) and its detrimental effects that I might have an extremist approach.
It reminds me of the following verse in the Quran:
“You are distracted by mutual competition in amassing (worldly benefits) until you reach the graves.” (chapter 102, verses 1–2)
In conclusion, I turn to you.
How can a Muslim business owner be an aide in contentment instead of consumerism?
I look forward to your thoughts.
