{"id":11308,"date":"2026-03-27T14:32:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T18:32:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/?post_type=moa_podcasts&#038;p=11308"},"modified":"2026-03-27T15:01:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T19:01:23","slug":"retail-therapy-tri","status":"publish","type":"moa_podcasts","link":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/moa_podcasts\/retail-therapy-tri\/","title":{"rendered":"Retail therapy (TRI)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"11308\" class=\"elementor elementor-11308\" data-elementor-post-type=\"moa_podcasts\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c5e604d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3c5e604d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7aec154b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7aec154b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>I often compose these essays after returning from a ride or completing a garage project, but today\u2019s thoughts come on the heels of a pre-Christmas shopping spree. All of Santa\u2019s presents have been funneled down the chimney and a bundle of money has traveled in the opposite direction\u2014up in smoke! While there\u2019s usually queasiness about such a spike in spending, there\u2019s also a certain raw joy in the procurement process itself, even when the gifts are for others. Of course, there\u2019s additional pleasure in anticipating recipients\u2019 reactions and in giving to those we love, but here I\u2019ll focus on the sheer act of acquisition, and what it does for us psychologically.<\/p>\n\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-6785 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Mark-Barnes-w-RS-tight-300x281.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"234\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-6785 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Mark-Barnes-w-RS-tight-300x281.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"234\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Mark-Barnes-w-RS-tight-300x281.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Mark-Barnes-w-RS-tight-1024x960.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Mark-Barnes-w-RS-tight-768x720.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Mark-Barnes-w-RS-tight-1536x1440.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Mark-Barnes-w-RS-tight.jpg 1778w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/noscript>Motorcycling is not a cheap hobby. Bikes\u2014even used ones\u2014are increasingly expensive to purchase. Maintenance and repair costs can be shockingly high, and then there are the discretionary outlays for accessories and gear. \u201cDiscretionary\u201d is a slippery notion in this case, since gear is an absolute requirement and machine customization is vital to the enjoyment of motorcycling for many riders. Nevertheless, people have some leeway in how much and what quality gear they buy, along with the extent and pacing of their bike modifications. Aside from situations wherein someone must use a motorcycle as the only form of transportation they can afford, all money spent in this domain is completely optional; we invest in it because we\u2019re recreational enthusiasts, not out of necessity.<\/p>\n\n<p>I\u2019m always struck by the odd twinge of happiness I feel when purchasing the most mundane motorcycle-related items. I don\u2019t mean I lose my mind over bringing home a bottle of oil, but I definitely notice a subtle tingling inside, a faint sense of excitement about putting it to use or the satisfaction of having a well-stocked inventory of supplies. It\u2019s easy to understand the thrill of getting new high-tech equipment or a fancy farkle that will improve the riding experience, but the enjoyment of acquiring moto stuff seems to extend all the way down to the smallest purchases: just picking up a replacement fastener at the hardware store feels good\u2014not as good as swapping an old helmet for a much better modern one, but it\u2019s still a curiously pleasant feeling. What\u2019s going on here?<\/p>\n\n<p><iframe class=\"lazyload\" style=\"border: none;\" title=\"Embed Player\" data-src=\"https:\/\/play.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/40645520\/height\/192\/theme\/modern\/size\/large\/thumbnail\/yes\/custom-color\/f2cb9f\/time-start\/00:00:00\/hide-playlist\/yes\/download\/yes\/font-color\/000000\" width=\"100%\" height=\"192\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201cRetail therapy\u201d is the process of fending off negative emotions by spending money on treats that distract us from our woes. Such purchases might offset a sense of loss or prove a type of autonomous independence in contrast to an experience of helpless need somewhere else. Buying things obviously doesn\u2019t cure those other ills, but it can offer transient, compensatory relief. Overreliance on this method of keeping depression or anxiety at bay might make one a \u201cshopaholic,\u201d continuously hemorrhaging money in an effort to outrun (outspend) unwanted feelings. Motorcycling expenditures can definitely serve this purpose, but I want to explore the non-pathological level, a version that\u2019s not a compulsive flight from intolerable emotions but still contains hidden motivations.<\/p>\n\n<p>I\u2019ll start with some concepts from the renowned father of hidden motivations, Sigmund Freud. As I\u2019ve asserted in past essays, the one-dimensional caricature most people associate with Freud is both grossly inaccurate and vastly incomplete. I won\u2019t lecture on this topic now, but please suspend whatever reflexive dismissals you may be inclined to apply. I\u2019m not a strict devotee of Freud, but I do find many of his ideas compelling. Some have become embedded in popular culture and your own thinking in ways you may not fully appreciate. Others seem like farfetched psychobabble at first, but make more sense with a little explanation. What follows is certainly an oversimplification, but it\u2019ll provide background for this discussion.<\/p>\n\n<p>The pejorative term \u201canal\u201d is frequently used in reference to people who are uptight and rigidly controlling. This is a fragment from Freud\u2019s model of early childhood development. The anal stage is a product of \u201cpotty training,\u201d wherein children get focused on controlling their bowel movements, feeling pride as they achieve this new mastery over their bodily functions and shame when they fail. \u201cAnal\u201d in common parlance is more precisely a sub-category of anal stage dynamics called \u201canal-retentive.\u201d This refers to the child who\u2019s overly intent on <em>holding in<\/em> their feces, usually as a means of avoiding the embarrassment of losing control and suffering parental disapproval. Later in life, this tendency translates into a wide variety of analogous situations wherein the person takes great pride in maintaining very high levels of control and feels excessive shame about any lapses thereof. A contrasting sub-category is \u201canal-expulsive,\u201d which you\u2019d correctly guess is the opposite of anal-retentive. Here, the child may delight in the spontaneous, explosive<em> release<\/em> of feces, perhaps as an angry rebellion against parental demands or simply an indulgence in pleasurable evacuation. We\u2019ve all known adults who seem to revel in (figuratively) sh*tting on things around them, defiantly or arrogantly, or who actually prefer messy disorganization, even when it runs counter to their own apparent interests (covert emotional factors can outweigh overt pragmatic concerns).<\/p>\n\n<p>Freud traced most adult issues back to formative, prototypical experiences in childhood that were no longer readily accessible to memory, yet remained highly influential in terms of ingrained perceptual biases, emotional reactions and behavioral patterns. As the twig is bent, so grows the tree, regardless of its lack of awareness. In classical Freudian psychoanalysis (there are post-Freudian variants), money can be a later analog of feces, with people hell-bent on holding onto it or impulsively \u201cblowing it out\u201d based on personality traits formed during the anal stage. We\u2019ll come back to this aspect shortly, but first let\u2019s review an earlier stage of development in Freud\u2019s model, the \u201coral\u201d stage.<\/p>\n\n<p>Initially, much of an infant\u2019s life is centered around feeding. Feelings of hunger and satiation, with the attendant comforts of being held at the mother\u2019s breast, comprise a huge proportion of their earliest concerns and carry life-or-death consequences. As such, the distress of hunger is extremely intense, prompting babies to scream with all their might to urge a caregiver to provide relief; their life depends on it, quite literally. One element of oral dynamics is the blissful sense of safety and contentment derived from being in a passive-receptive position. Being cared for and having our needs met without having to do anything but signal desire is a profoundly delicious experience, but one we typically must learn to do without as we\u2019re expected to become increasingly self-reliant growing up. This happens in a multitude of ways during childhood and adolescence (and, sadly, throughout much of adulthood!), but the earliest example is weaning. Feelings of deprivation can produce existential terror and aggressive greed\u2014now we don\u2019t just take in passively, we <em>bite!<\/em> Paradoxically, this is apt to make our mother (and others later) <em>less<\/em> inclined to give us what we want, creating a vicious cycle that won\u2019t stop until insight and the development of guilt inspire a change in approach.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-11298 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/barnes_retailtherapy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1558\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-11298 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/barnes_retailtherapy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1558\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/barnes_retailtherapy.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/barnes_retailtherapy-270x300.jpg 270w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/barnes_retailtherapy-920x1024.jpg 920w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/barnes_retailtherapy-768x855.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/barnes_retailtherapy-1380x1536.jpg 1380w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n\n<p>You don\u2019t have to buy into Freud\u2019s belief that much of adult emotion and motivation is shaped during early childhood; just think of these paradigms as bodily metaphors, a poetic way of capturing key elements of common emotional dynamics. Keep in mind these can be viewed as ubiquitous undercurrents of everyday human experiences, with more extreme versions in a person\u2019s history leading to \u201cfixations\u201d later in life wherein associated themes become preoccupations and sources of irrational anxiety\u2014what Freud called \u201cneuroses.\u201d The normal, non-neurotic level shares the same roots but isn\u2019t as problematic. Okay, back to the joy of buying things, especially motorcycle stuff.<\/p>\n\n<p>There are two sides to purchasing goodies: we spend money (triggering anal phase-related feelings) and we acquire products or services (triggering oral phase-related feelings). Anxiety about spending may be based on concrete budgetary facts\u2014plain old math\u2014but in the absence of any realistic danger people can still feel anxious and\/or ashamed about relaxing their usual self-restraint. This may produce inhibitions, proactively thwarting spontaneity in favor of control. One type of enjoyment is sacrificed, but the self-discipline involved can be a source of pride and feel reassuringly safe. If the impulse is indulged despite self-imposed prohibitions, worry and self-reproach may subtract from the fun afterward, regardless of it having no significant impact on financial well-being. It\u2019s not <em>really<\/em> (or <em>only<\/em>) about the money, but whether or not release is deemed acceptable.<\/p>\n\n<p>Alternatively, someone may find spending exhilarating in itself, with the items purchased of secondary importance; it just feels great to \u201clet loose\u201d and suspend routine constraints. This is often what holidays and vacations allow, but the same principle applies to smaller-scale splurges, even when they\u2019re necessitated by something bad. Hence, a rider might notice a vaguely positive feeling after paying for a big, unexpected repair. They didn\u2019t want to spend their money on a surprise drain, yet there\u2019s a certain satisfaction involved. The outflow of money isn\u2019t the only relevant part. There\u2019s also the elimination (pun intended) of \u201cbadness\u201d\u2014the stinky situation of a broken motorcycle\u2014achieved via expenditure. \u201cThat hurt, but I\u2019m glad to have expelled the problem!\u201d In the abstract, these are all fundamentally analogous to managing our poop. We may lean toward anal-retentiveness or anal-expulsiveness in general, but there\u2019s also a normal oscillation between self-restraint and unrestrained spontaneity, with each position delivering its own rewards and the former setting us up to take extra pleasure in the latter. Of course, healthy adult functioning features a balance of both.<\/p>\n\n<p>Acquisitions are analogs of food. Being the passive recipient of a gift is one version, which can bring a warm sense of security and of being valued in a relationship. But obtaining things on our own generates a different gratification, that of feeling powerfully self-sufficient; we needn\u2019t rely on others to meet our needs, we can take care of (feed) ourselves. Depending on how deprived or satisfied we feel in general, we\u2019ll take a more or less aggressive approach to collecting supplies. If we\u2019ve suffered severe lack in the past, we\u2019re more likely to ravenously hoard going forward and jealously protect our belongings (material or relational) from competitors. But even in the most benign situations, it feels good to have our basic needs covered and any surplus is comforting. Some people are perpetually afraid of not having enough, even when they already possess what seems like plenty to an impartial observer. Others are content with minimal accumulation. The objective quantity of resources can be virtually irrelevant; again, emotional factors outweigh rational considerations. Whether we\u2019re talking about the necessity of milk to an infant or meat and berries to a hunter-gatherer tribe, human beings are hard-wired to <em>ACQUIRE!<\/em> as part of our inborn, evolutionarily adaptive survival instinct. This began as the pursuit of life-sustaining food, but the drive has been elaborated across numerous other domains. So, the (hungry) excitement of receiving an ordered accessory is partly a function of our most basic orientation to the world as a source of sustenance. Although maturation hopefully brings much greater complexity to this orientation, obtaining consumables is the original imperative of existence.<\/p>\n\n<p>Since motorcycling is an intensely emotional activity, everything related to it carries strong, personal meaning. A purchase here not only promises additional pleasure during future use but also provides a more potent sense of autonomy, independence and security than purchases made in less highly charged realms. We won\u2019t literally consume that bottle of oil, but it\u2019s extra tasty as a psychological snack. If an acquisition also involves a blow-out expenditure, we might enjoy it even more. Freud would say eating and pooping are the underground foundations of many of life\u2019s pleasures, including this aspect of motorcycling. Enjoy both ends of digestion!<\/p>\n\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><!-- wp:image {\"id\":6982} --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6982 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MOA-Foundation-Logo-banner.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"135\" class=\"wp-image-6982 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MOA-Foundation-Logo-banner.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MOA-Foundation-Logo-banner.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MOA-Foundation-Logo-banner-300x34.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MOA-Foundation-Logo-banner-1024x115.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/MOA-Foundation-Logo-banner-768x86.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><em>The Ride Inside with Mark Barnes<\/em> is brought to you by the <a href=\"https:\/\/bmwmoaf.org\/fundraising\/safemiles-endowment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MOA Foundation<\/a>. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmwmoa.org\/page\/membertypes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">join the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America<\/a> quickly and easily to better take advantage of the Paul B. Grant and Clark Luster training reimbursement programs offered by the Foundation.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<hr \/><!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Motorcycling is not a cheap hobby. Bikes\u2014even used ones\u2014are increasingly expensive to purchase. Maintenance and repair costs can be shockingly high, and then there are the discretionary outlays for accessories and gear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":11298,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"podcast":[81],"class_list":["post-11308","moa_podcasts","type-moa_podcasts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","podcast-the-ride-inside"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moa_podcasts\/11308","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moa_podcasts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/moa_podcasts"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moa_podcasts\/11308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11360,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moa_podcasts\/11308\/revisions\/11360"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"podcast","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bmwmoa.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast?post=11308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}