weekly Objet library

Runaway consumerism explains the Fermi Paradox

• Fresh organic fruit juice costs so much more than nutrition-free soda. Having real friends is so much more effort than watching Friends on TV. Actually colonizing the galaxy would be so much harder than pretending to have done it when filming Star Wars or Serenity.

• Most bright alien species probably go extinct gradually, allocating more time and resources to their pleasures, and less to their children.

First of all, there’s something to be said for the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi—embracing authenticity and appreciating things for being unique and imperfect. A rare, well-worn leather jacket from the 1970s is a hell of a lot cooler than a brand new one from a standard label bought at a department store, right?

The Japanese approach to cherishing and maintaining one’s possessions—a concept known as mono wo taisetsu ni (cherish your things)—ensures that vintage luxury pieces are often in excellent condition. This cultural respect for belongings translates into a robust market for vintage luxury, where the condition of items remains paramount.

• Repair, maintenance, and restoration are about building more intimate, meaningful relationships with the things around us

• Repairs store and tell stories. They are the equivalent of scars on objects.

• Repaired objects help us redefine beauty.

• Repair replaces wastefulness and shallowness with meaning and care.

• Repairing makes us truly empowered and responsible owners of our objects as opposed to mere consumers.