By Klaus Döring -Monday, July 20, 2026
RELATIONSHIP hopping means jumping quickly from one partner to another, while care is the steady, intentional effort to support someone else. Love goes even deeper, building on care, trust, and commitment. Unlike relationship hopping, which often serves as an escape from pain, genuine love requires us to confront loneliness, disappointment, and emotional vulnerability.
Plastic money — better known as credit cards — combined with loneliness and relentless advertising can be a dangerous mix. Increasingly, people are being drawn into shopping frenzies in search of emotional satisfaction.
Recently, the sun was blazing, and despite the sweltering heat, we found ourselves heading to a shopping mall. Shopping centers have an undeniable way of tempting us with endless promotions and irresistible bargains. Credit cards came out one after another, as if money were no object.
Suddenly, we convince ourselves that our clothes are no longer good enough and that our shoes are outdated or even embarrassing. The latest fashion is available for just a few pesos more — or so it seems. Surely, we can afford it… can’t we?
Women especially — or is that merely a stereotype? — often arrange shopping trips with friends. What begins as harmless fun can easily turn into a competition over who finds the trendiest outfit or the biggest bargain. Ironically, many participants can hardly afford these purchases. Despite strained finances, unnecessary spending provides a temporary feeling of happiness, satisfaction, and relaxation.
Could shopping be a substitute for the love, care, and appreciation that many people feel they are missing? Perhaps. For a brief moment, shopping seems to fill the emotional void created by unmet needs for affection, recognition, and human connection.
That brief shopping high is often followed by a sense of euphoria. A new dress feels like a lucky charm, promising happiness and renewed confidence. But before long, the excitement fades — and the addiction quietly takes hold.
The real tragedy is that many of the items purchased are not needed at all. The thrill lies not in owning them but in buying them. Clothes, shoes, jewelry, and cosmetics are worn only occasionally before being hidden away in closets. Then comes the guilt. Depression follows, and an inner emptiness returns — until the next shopping spree promises another temporary escape.
It is a dangerous vicious cycle that can eventually lead to financial ruin. Experts have long warned that the boundaries between ordinary shopping, emotional spending, frustration, and compulsive buying are often blurred. I remember seeing a woman yesterday trying to pay a huge bill with three different credit cards, only to hear the cashier repeatedly say, “Excuse me, Ma’am, there is a problem with your credit card.” As she walked away empty-handed, she simply remarked, “Okay lang, actually I don’t need all this stuff!” What an ironic realization.
Let me make one thing clear: I do not want to spoil anyone’s enjoyment of visiting shopping malls. Not everyone who enjoys shopping is addicted. Occasional retail therapy or reward shopping can be perfectly normal. It is only when shopping becomes an uncontrollable and recurring compulsion that it demands serious attention.
By the way, love and care are fundamental human emotions that lie at the heart of every meaningful relationship. Care reflects concern, compassion, and a willingness to help others. Love encompasses all of these qualities while reaching even deeper, creating lasting bonds built on trust, understanding, and selflessness.
