Products that
nourish.
With material (and perhaps cognitive) abundance,
value comes from presence and relationships.
Products can bring us back to ourselves.
The modern world has a way of overcomplicating things.
We can spend so much time and energy escaping the moment, or chasing things that are not the moment, that we lose sight of feeling nourished in our bodies.
Our entire economic system exists to provide sustenance for humans. Ironically, though, most consumer products in the world today sell to our reactivity, because that’s more “profitable.”
But once we know what nourishment feels like, we can create options for others to experience it.
If we start with that goal in mind, we build very different products than those that merely respond to reactive “demand.”
Nourishing Product Criteria
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Grounding Presence
The product grounds its user in the act of the function it was designed for. It does so by settling the nervous system, not by triggering reactivity or a dopamine high.
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Essence, Not Status
The product exists to serve its role well, not to be seen being used or consumed. Well-made products may still be coopted as status symbols — the point of this criterion is intent and integrity.
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Durable Investment
If a buyer looked at every choice as an investment in their own felt experience over time, does the product have compounding returns, a neutral effect, or a negative impact? Many modern products fail this test.
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Lasting Satiation
In the hands of a settled user, does the product produce satiation, or the continuous need to consume more? Well-made products can still be reactively consumed — it’s about the essence.
Types & categories of consumption.
Types
The act of consumption can fall into three categories. First, there is a basic floor we must meet to survive. From there, we can begin to genuinely express ourselves. The third option — reactive overconsumption — is where most purchases live today.
Mode One
Survival
Basic floor.
Mode Two
Nourishment
Self-expression.
Mode Three
Reaction
Overconsumption.
Categories
Economic outputs ultimately exist to serve humans. When we break them into the essence of their function, the list is shorter than you might expect.
- Shelter
- Food
- Clothing
- Practice
- Entertainment
- Mobility
- Body
- Tools
- Infrastructure
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