Inveterate Materialism and Us

"An attitude to life which seeks fulfillment in the single minded pursuit of wealth- in short, materialism- does not fit in this world, because it contains within itself no limiting principle, while the environment in which it is placed in is strictly limited."

- Charles Edwards

I am pretty sure that I am not venturing into uncharted territory here, there might be a myriad of articles on this topic, but as a victim of materialism, here are my two cents on the subject.

Materialism has become a way of life, something which has slowly consumed our society over the years and will continue to do so. Something that is not going to fade away. Ever.

I would like to make a quick distinction here, I am not referring to consumerism which is essentially the theory that a progressively greater consumption of goods is economically beneficial (although the recent surge in ‘blind’ consumerism ruffles my feathers – but we’ll save that discussion for another time) but what I am talking about is acquisitiveness: the preoccupation with worldly possessions, material comforts and considerations and the belief that all these constitute the greatest good and highest value in life.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with possessing nice things if you can afford them, or if you have been saving up for them. But what bothers me is the absurd infatuation with owning things you simply can’t afford or shouldn’t be buying and doing so only to establish your position in society, just so people think of you differently and possibly treat you in a special way. It is appalling to know that there are some people out there who measure their success solely based on what tangible belongings they own.

I am not saying that you should dress in rags or live in a shabby house or lead an uncomfortable life just to prove to the world that you are not money oriented, but one should try to make an effort to strike that ever elusive balance (isn't that what we try to do every day of our lives?) between the two extremes. That human contact and working on relationships matter more than getting your hands on the latest couture line of Yves Saint Laurent.

It’s a shame that we live in a world where first impressions are better established by the brand of clothing you have on, the handbag/briefcase you carry, the car you drive or the watch adorning your wrist rather than by what and how you speak and interact with people.

I see and hear about young girls(pre teens, teens and sometimes even the twenty somethings) these days going to extreme and dangerous lengths to acquire the latest in fashion and technology, just so they can ‘fit into’ their friend circle. What would you advise them? That they need new friends? Would they risk losing a cooler gang’s acceptance and plummet into the ‘nerdy/loser’ gang thus becoming a social pariah? The answer is no – there is no middle ground as such in that age– you are either labeled as a cool person or not, period.

Perhaps we can blame their mental maturity or attribute their behavior to the age they are living in or blame the media for misleading them, but as mature older adults, what is our excuse?

Sure, you can hide those dark circles (owing to sleepless restless nights where even prescription sleeping meds fail the unhappy you) behind those limited edition Gucci sunglasses, but, will lying down next to your Alexander McQueen outfit or even hugging your Louboutins on lonely nights provide you with a sense of fulfillment?

Yes, materialism has us by its teeth; it is so deep rooted in our systems that it’s almost impossible to escape it, especially in this day and age. But, can we not prevent it from getting the better of us?

We are the ones responsible for creating this monster, so can we not find ways to resist succumbing to it?

I believe that it is the decisions we make at the various crossroads in our lives and the principles and moral values we live by that define us as individuals. That in itself is the stepping stone in trying to overcome this barmy race to acquire materialistic possessions. To mold and cement our future as happier and more content individuals, we need to relentlessly make those rational conscious and subconscious choices and every so often listen to that tiny voice in our head that differentiates the things that we need from the things that we want.