Phase Two: Consuming the Purchase

Abstract

One reasonably crisp way of distinguishing the two principal concepts of this book is to observe that the end of consumption is to have something, to possess it, whereas the end of leisure is to do something, to engage in an activity.This proposition stands as one of the foundational observations of this book. Be that as it may we have already seen where consumption and leisure are so closely aligned as to make it impossible to distinguish the two, as seen in the examples of chasing down a rare coin and buying a fine old violin. The process of acquiring such items is seen by the collector and the musician as every bit a part of their serious leisure. Nevertheless such situations are exceptions to the proposition just presented. Accordingly, Chapter 4 was centered on the acquisition and possession of goods and services. The present chapter revolves around doing something with the goods and services the consumer now has.