What makes a person materialistic or not?

Question

I find the most happiness in life's intangibles--a hug from my children,a summer breeze,my garden,etc....and yet I know so many people who just seem to live for getting that next new car or whatever material thing.Are we born this way or not?

I am American,and non-materialistic.Yes,many of us are...

Answer 1

the culture in which they are brought up

americans tend to be materialistic

shaolin monks do not

Answer 2

I think that materialistic people are either trying to make up for something or have just never been taught to appreciate the simple things in life...

I love hugs, effection, the rain, playing with rocks on the beach...

I went the Arran once and there were no street lights and i looked up and i have never seen so many stars in my life... say before i had seen hundreds, in Arran i could see billions.

At the time no one else seemed intereted and when i got back and mentioned it when talking about my holiday they didn't react to it...

I certainly feel that materialistic people have less happy and fullfilling lives... they'll never have everything they want whereas people like us already have.

Answer 3

I think some people are born this way through what their parents have taught them by their spending habits. I know little children who are so spoiled with having so much stuff and already at 6 years old can make a distinction between brand name cloths, latest computer games etc. all because they were taught this from their parents. It's just history repeating itself like many other areas of ones lives.

Answer 4

Of course it's nice to have nice things , but to value needless possessions above all else is quite sad. Why people feel the need to impress themselves or others with materialistic things is probably due to a sense of insecurity and the need to buy a sense of self worth.
All the big companies encourage this kind of brainwashing with expensive advertising campaigns which are even aimed at children. Good to see that not all people are indoctrinated in this way and can still value the really special things in life.

Answer 5

I believe what makes a person materialistic is that they invest their efforts and faith in material objects, with the aim that they can draw happiness or satisfaction out of it. It certainly does provide satisfaction. Since birth we learn that this makes us happy, and we continue to strive for more material things!

To discover the subttle but greater lasting satisfaction or happiness of a more spiritual experience, takes a very different mindset, and I don't believe that we are taught this mind set, as eversince we are young, we receive a more obvious positive feedback through things like gifts.

Answer 6

A lot of people are because of the attention they get for having the newest thing that's out on the market, they gets a high knowing they are the only one with one first. It is a trap that will soon send them to the poor house. And they are not born that way they are taught and brought up that way. Its a dysfunctional way to live, and a friendship destoryer. The root of this behavior is pride.

Answer 7

Most materialistic people most likely feel like they are missing something, so they buy and buy and buy to try to fill the gap deep within them. It just temporarily gives them relief, but what they don't realize is that it will never be enough. They will always want more and they will always have to have this or that to make themselves feel better for a short amount of time. I for one, could never figure out why I felt so empty. I had everything I could want, but felt miserable. Then I came to realize that love helps fill that gap within much more than anything money could buy. I'm just starting to learn this, and I'll tell u that I feel better about myself now, then i probably ever have in my life.

Answer 8

LOL. You can have your "intangibles" and still desire all the materialism life has to offer. The difference between you and them is they just ignore the intangibles because they are morally bankrupt and cannot see the human side of their own souls.

Answer 9

I don't think we are born this way - I think that people are just different and have different priorities depending on their life styles. For instance, if you don't have children, you are more likely to have extra cash to spend on yourself - that could be perceived by people who have children as wasteful or materialistic but it's not.

I grew up in absolute poverty and have always worked extremely hard for everything that I have. My biggest fear is not having any money. I enjoy having nice things - probably as not having them when I was a kid and teenager etc made me feel inadequate - I am not materialistic in the sense that I judge other people but I have to say that I do like having nice things like clothes, perfume, make up etc. However, because of having nothing when I was younger, I know how to budget - something I know I can fall back on if I ever need to!

Answer 10

mostly learned behavior, i believe. all set in motion, more often than not, by our mums. if not her, either our dads our our chums on down the line. sometimes dutch uncle, or a sister etc. the basics are learned and etched very early. that is how i explain my flawed character and personality disorder. most people swear they are not materialistic in the commonsense but they are in denial. are you? i mean most are like the fox and "sour grapes." you only learn that with age and the reality when it drops on you like a ton of bricks.

no right or wrong about it, actually. nothing wrong with having millions like a prince or warren buffet etc. the thing is, the difficult thing is whether or not one is in touch with reality and not in denial. denial is self protective but is real? or does it matter. it might?

Answer 11

In this age of industrialization we are all materialists,from China to Cuba,USA to Uganda.I would call someone materialistic for being excessively into consumption...but again if one collects books,isn't he a materialistic?