Buy now, regret later

Cary Cooper’s review of The Triumph of Emptiness: Consumption, Higher Education, and Work Organization mentions the “consumption paradox”, the notion that as we become more affluent, we become less satisfied (Books, 8 August). Perhaps because the affluent make larger purchases more often, they are likely to suffer more buyer’s remorse – the regret a person may feel after making a purchase, also called post-purchase dissonance.

Alex Chablo
Manchester