2009

What if we stopped marketing? Completely.

by Jeb Life

I’m not intentionally a contrarian, but I have to admit I don’t like people telling me what to do. But this is exactly what advertisers (and, by extension, most businesses) do every day. They cram a particular value, and the resulting desire, down our throats.That sort of control, despite claims to the contrary, and it’s [...]

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In with the old

by Jeb Life

It occurred to me today that a consumer-driven society is decidedly less possible when ‘old’ is appropriately valued. That’s hard to achieve at a time when many products are purposely made with a limited life span. And when these same products are marketed in such way that makes you feel like you’ve absolutely got to [...]

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Anything but confidence

by Jeb Life

It’s pretty dang awesome that we can, in today’s world, buy just about anything. Right? We’ve got cool clothes and fast food and slick cars and sweet technology. If it’s a desire, even an obscure one, there’s a pretty good chance it can be purchased somewhere. Awesome. Or is it? I understand how many benefits [...]

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How I edit photos

by Jeb Free Tuts

I’m branching out a bit here on HTM, so this post is not my typical variety. As you may know, I’m a fan of production…that is, doing things, as opposed to paying others to do it for you. And there’s a very good reason for it above and beyond the obvious one of saving money. [...]

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Toy Parade

by Jeb Life

A little levity for this Sunday afternoon courtesy the folks over at the XKCD blog. And a heartfelt thanks to Fabian for bringing it to my attention.

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Ass.u.me

by Jeb Life

Freedom is a pretty remarkable thing. And I’ve never seen it from the vantage point of being on the wrong (not free) side of the wall, so I can only imagine it’s that much more remarkable for those who have. One of the curious things about this world we live in is the quickness with [...]

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Careful what you wish for

by Jeb Life

The message is clear, regardless what the message is. It doesn’t really matter what they’re selling. Good, bad or otherwise, advertisers all have one goal…to get you to believe that you’re not good enough as you are. Because if they succeed, then maybe you’ll get the idea that what they’re selling will fix you up [...]

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The ‘other’ consumption, and the importance of you

by Jeb Life

There was a time in the not too distant past when production was a much more important part of our daily lives than it is today. What do I mean by production? I’m referring simply to ‘making something’. It’s obvious enough why that was, right? Until quite recently (by historical standards), farming was essential for [...]

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Goodbyes and new beginnings (manifesto sold separately)

by Jeb Life

I’ve covered some shaky ground to this point here at How To Matter. I’ve spoken of betrayal, forgiveness, my dark side, the fragile nature of life, much more. This wasn’t my intent, not at first. But the door opened and I walked through it. And the self-discovery that resulted made that little detour worth every [...]

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Here I am

by Jeb Life

Your failures. Your successes. Regardless which has prevailed to this point, they provide the context for your past. That’s it. They are not predictors. They do not relegate you to a particular path. They just happened, nothing more. I am neither better nor worse than you for my experiences. Nor you me. For greatness lies [...]

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2009

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