"If you aren't materialistic, you aren't human..." (read on)?

Question

Do you believe in this? Is materialism a symbol of superiority?

Answer 1

Nobody enjoys introspective thinking, or viewing the choices made as perhaps something which is personally negitive. Most people are materialistic. It is just true. We all like our "stuff".

There are a few folks who truly are not that materialistic. However, even those who do get by with far less than others have a level of materialistic behaviors, a hoarding if you will. We all know that survival means having "stuff". It may be basic stuff, but it is still stuff.

Who among us does not wish to own our own home, or have a car for each spouse? Who among us truly prefers not having the most basic of comforts? I am not talking about those items which are solely needed for pure survival, such as food, clothing, and housing. I am talking about our TV, our stereo equipment, computers, telephones, MP3 players, cell phones, quality clothing verses second hand, entertainment items, such as vacations, dinner and a movie, taking the kids to a amusement park, water park, skiing, ATMing, boating, etc, the list goes on and on.

The ability to survive is critical. However, in these developed countries most have far more than what is needed for survival. Anything we have over what we need for survival is a luxury, and it is materialistic.

We also have the need, the instinct so to speak, to hoard our things for a rainy day. Even countries have a "rainy day fund", which will stave off starvation and other neccasary items in times of leanness. We must put aside money, and some put up supplies such as food, clothing, and other survival neccessities in order to survive an emergency. Such would have worked very well for those who survived hurricane Katrina. What was not washed away would have meant the difference between living and dying. So we hoard, put stuff aside and look to our retirements. In order to do this we must aquire stuff.

We are the only living creature which hoards items not just in the nature of food. Some animals hoard food such as nuts, others hoard it inside thier own bodies for use during hibernation. We are the only creature who hoards non-food items. This is materialism. Regardless of what anyone wishes to tell themselves, we humans are, to one degree or another, materialistic.

So, yes, to be human means you are materialistic. Some are greedy in this endevour, some are not, it is as varied as there are individuals in this world.

Nobody likes to think that their behavior may be negitive. The word, "materialistic" is seen or viewed as somewhat negitive, as a bad quality to have, as greedy. However, we have our own way of putting aside things for future use. We also have our own present desire of creature comforts.

It is between what is needed for the future and what we wish for current day to day living which sets people apart. There are those who are viewed as excessively materialistic, but how the person is viewed is determined by their sex.

If a man amasses far more than he could ever need or use in his lifetime he is considered to be successful and it is a positive quality. However, if a woman does this she is considered greedy. It is socially acceptable for men to aquire as much stuff as he possibly can, create an empire, and is perceived as strong and capable, ruthless maybe, but he is a man so this is ok. A woman however is considered many negitive things if she does the same. I won't get into the names women are called, or the perception men have of her. It is simply true that a man is perceived as strong while a woman is perceived as non-feminine and any number of extremely negitive qualities.

The bottom line is, yes, to be human means we are materialistic. It is just the level, or the degree of which we are, and the sex in how badly we are condemed for this trait. It is simply human nature to desire to aquire as much stuff as we can. No other animal cares if they have a more luxurious den than the next. They don't care if the neighbor has a pool and they don't, or one car verses two. They simply eat, sleep, mate, and protect their young. Humans on the other hand have to have much more than that.

So, those who feel a desire to aquire more or have aquired more do use it as a status symbol. The more somebody has the more likely that person and his/her family will survive. The more they have the stronger the family is. This tranlates for many into being 'better" than those who have less.

There are many who firmly believe the poor are poor because the lack what it takes to climb out of poverty. They believe that if they were not lazy or lacking in drive they would work harder, save more, better manage their money, etc, and leave poverty behind. These folks absolutely feel superior to those who have less.

People who are wealthy or those who have driving ambition fail to understand that there are those among us who simply do not feel as they do. They simply fail to understand how anyone could actually truly be happy and content with less, or that they simply do not feel any desire to amass a empire or stock away thousand and millions beyond what they need for a basic comfortable lifestyle. They do not understand those who are content with a small but comfortable home, simple used cars in good condition, food in the house, and who wear the same clothing for several years before replacing it with new as it wears out. They simply do not understand that some truly are content without a huge fortune and power at hand nor have any desire to accumulate or build a financial power base.

Many of use are reluctant to admit that money and power, and often money equates power, not always but it does buy an awful lot of power, is of great importance or at the very least a driving force behind dreams. Most of us dream of winning the lottery, or doing so well in life we amass millions or billions. Who doesn't dream of the ability to fly in a private jet to Paris for lunch or dinner, then jet across the channel and stay at the queens palace? Or simular affluant possibilities. Who doesn't dream of having the resourses which cause others to envy us, to turn and watch as we walk into a room, or have the hotel staff fawn over them, etc? Who doesn't dream of being able to send our children to the best schools for the best education? Who doesn't dream of the ability to ensure that generations of our grandchildren will be taken care of by what we have amassed? That assures their survival in the midst of sharks? Who doesn't dream of having a fleet of attorneys at hand to make sure we are well protected and that if accused of a crime we have the best defense possible? Who doesn't know that the rich seldom go to prison, that our prisons are filled with the poor?

So, yes, among the creatures of this world materialism is a symbol of superiority. This is purely a human trait, as no other species has such a drive or need.

I am not saying every single one of us has the same level of needs or drive in this area. I am stating that it is human nature to wish to have a lot. Look at all the contestants of these "game shows" which grant the possibility of gaining hundreds of thousands of dollars or even a million or more. Look at how many people play the lottery, or gamble with their hard earned money, or look for get rich quick scams? Look at all of us who ruthlessly climb the corperate ladder and walk over all who are in our way to reach the very top and then fight to keep that spot?

There are those among us who are truly humble people, those who truly do not wish to have more than they need. However, each of us determine what that level of "need" is. What is an appropriate quantity of "need" for one, is far inadequant for another.

It is not shameful to be materialstic. It is shameful to think you are better than another simply because you have more than the next person. It is shameful to believe those with less are lessor beings, and are peons. It is shameful to poorly treat those who work for you. It is shameful to be a slum lord. It is shameful to use ilegal means to gain monetary resourses. However, every single person who enjoys a rich legacy from an ancestor enjoys the gains which were aquired by illegal or what was once legal and now is not. Not so long ago it was perfectly legal to commit fraud, to basically steal what you wished to have. Many got rich on the back of the Civil War dead, and the displaced familes of the conquered. Homes and lands were taken and given to the victors. Huge land barrons stole their land from the settlers, by hook and crook. Our history has so many morally reprehensible actions which garnered those ruthless enough to apply such actions and abtain what they wished. So many got rich off the backs of the deperatly poor. child workers were stunted for life from the conditions they worked in and education was a luxury for the rich.

Any who claims they are not materialistic are lying to themselves. We all have one degree or another of materialistic natures. It is only the degree we have this which differentiates one from another.

Answer 2

No I do not. Being materialist is just that!! At least in my opinion. It doesn't make you superior above anyone because you might have more than another. If you are not materialistic, that would not make you less of a human. To me that would just make you a person who lives on this earth with pretty much everyone else. I guess I would say you are living within your means which is what everyone else is trying to do instead of keeping up with the "Jones'". I do not believe that anyone is superior to anyone else.

Answer 3

no it is a form of stupidity

Answer 4

this is da-mn rite

Answer 5

not its a symbol of greed..................