The idea that advertising can force the consumer is out of touch with reality, just as the notion that mass media manipulate people is. In fact, it is people who influence the mass media, and advertising is effective only when it aligns with what people want to hear. The effectiveness of advertising is seen in the choice of one product over another, not in the decision to buy that type of product in the first place. People want to go on vacation, and advertising pushes them to choose one destination over another—it doesn't condition them to go on vacation. It influences the choice among consumer products, not consumerism itself.

Consumerism is not imposed by some shadowy power; we are the ones who prefer consumerism over austerity. Junk food is produced because it sells—it’s not that it sells because it's produced. One might consider a government ban if such food is harmful: a collective intervention in the freedom of individual consumers, but that would need to be evaluated.

The idea that everything is determined by mass media is almost always invoked when reality doesn’t match what we’d like it to be. Then we claim reality is distorted, rather than considering that our idea of reality might be flawed—a true logical reversal. In economic discussions about society, we refer to the general preferences of the people. For example, it’s true that for Saint Francis perfect joy meant embracing Sister Poverty, but the majority of citizens here and now desire well-being and prosperity—we cannot impose on them even the noble vision of Saint Francis.

Man does not live in a vacuum; he is part of society and therefore absorbs and contributes to its principles. In our society today, jewelry is considered non-essential, while even expensive medical treatments are deemed necessary. These criteria also change over time. In the past, for example, education was not considered a necessity, but hic et nunc (here and now), there is a right (even a duty) to basic education and, for those capable and deserving, to higher education as well.

The hierarchy of needs is thus determined by society, and for this reason, the modern state guarantees (or at least tries to guarantee) education and healthcare for all—but not jewelry.