Struggling to Downshift Consumption: The Ambivalence of Excess and Implications for Sustainable Consumption

Abstract

This paper examines the narratives of consumers who aspire to adopt a simpler, less excessive, and more sustainable lifestyle but struggle to achieve this goal. The analysis reveals that one of the key barriers to downshifting consumption lies in a deep-seated ambivalence: material excess is experienced as both burdensome and evocative, cyclical consumption practices as simultaneously meaningless and pleasurable, and the omnipresent marketplace as both frightening and captivating. This ambivalence is sustained through key mechanisms, including the rationalization of consumption choices using self-care and care for others and hope for a tipping point. The discussion suggests that efforts to promote sustainable consumption cannot rely solely on moral prescriptions and rational appeals. Instead, a more nuanced approach is needed, one that acknowledges the emotional complexities of consumption and the deeply ambivalent nature of consumer–market relationships in affluent societies.