I laughed when I first heard the term consumerism — not because it’s funny, but because it seemed to capture our times in a single word.

After socialism, communism, capitalism, sexism, racism, and every other -ism we’ve seen so far, this is where we seem to have arrived: consumerism.

“I shop, therefore I am” — in contrast to René Descartes’ famous phrase “I think, therefore I am,” his conclusion after attempting to doubt everything that could be doubted.

No, it’s not funny. We try to fill an existential void with things — and risk turning the entire planet into a junkyard.

Does it make us happy?

I’m just asking.