Misunderstandings
In a true free market, the consumer calls the shots. Vendors chase tastes, preferences, and real needs. Collectively, buyers decide what’s produced and sold. That’s how it ought to work.
But John Kenneth Galbraith laid it out plain back in his 1958 book The Affluent Society: Producers flipped the script with heavy advertising. They don’t just respond to demand—they manufacture it. Radio, TV, movies, and now the internet poured in, shaping what people think they want. Kids grow up soaking in media, picking up identities, deciding what’s “cool.” Public schools and society pile on, training folks to follow along rather than think independently. It’s easier to let others decide for you—path of least resistance.