What is the true meaning behind materialism?

1. 69

   BakerRamblesposted 13 years ago

   Materialism, a notion based upon the acquiring of various goods to achieve ones goals.  What is materialism however, and how much does the notion impact your life?  Would you say it was more positive or negative and why?

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2. 64

   prettydarkhorseposted 13 years ago

   ours is a consumer driven society (US) because of our culture which is a by product mostly of a capitalist system. Lifestyle and values impact our priorities.

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3. 61

   knolyourselfposted 13 years ago

   Materialism is a way to equate your worth if you believe you are worth nothing otherwise.

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4. 60

   Jonathan Jancoposted 13 years ago

   Materialism is a person's set of symbols to explain their overall being's relation to the physical self. If one is a particularly spiritual minded person, he/she would tend to have more of a minimalist materialism sense in regard to possessions, belongings, home, livelihood, etc. Whereas, a person particularly focused on the physical would probably tend to need many extravagant and exhorbitant possessions, belongings, homes, livelihoods, etc.
   I believe the positive/negative aspects depend upon the individual. And bear in mind most people probably lean one way or the other but not to an extreme.

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5. 59

   recommend1posted 13 years ago

   Materialism is the way of living under capitalism - it determines a significant proportion of the value of everything.  The cultural significance is to reduce the value of people to a society, that is paid in respct or credence, into a value only to the individual members of that society, what one is worth.

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6. 57

   lawrence2012posted 12 years ago

   Materialism is acquiring something that you do not need for your ultimate survival for the sake of status and/or ego.

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7. 86

   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   There is nothing wrong with materialism.  This is a material world and it is good to strive for and want the better things of life.  Materialism is the difference between living an affluent life and mere basic existence with next to nothing or penury.  Materialism is a good, even GREAT thing.

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      HeadlyvonNogginposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm not sure that's true. Just look at our history. There's a line in the sand where materialism first surfaced in humanity. It goes hand in hand with a behavioral change that can be seen first in the Ubaid culture of southern Mesopotamia that spread out from there. Before this age there were numerous human cultures that came and went with little to no violence of any kind. People, men and women, had equal status in these cultures and there was no class stratification. People were not buried with personal possessions and everyone had the same size homes and same size graves. When this changed, so did equality and so did violence. Indigenous cultures did not have this issue. Even land they didn't see as a possession, but rather belonging to all, and there was harmony in humanity. It's only when the more pronounced modern ego came about, when a stronger sense of "I" decided things belonged to it, that conflict arose. And it's been that way ever since.
      
      There broke out ... all manner of evil, and shame fled, and truth and faith. In place of these came deceits and trickery and treachery and force and the accursed love of possession ... And the land, hitherto a common possession like the light of the sun and the breezes, the careful surveyor now marked out with long boundary lines." - Ovid, Roman Poet

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   2. 59

      Silverspeederposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I love my comfy chair, its so warm and inviting and keeps me happy. Of course I can sit on the ground, which is hard and cold. Does wanting my comfy chair make me materialistic?

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      1. 86

         gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         I do not see materialism as a bad thing.   I LOVE materialism.  I love affluence, have the better things of life and love the only the choicest and better quality of things.   We are all materialistic, nothing is wrong with that.  Either one is materialistic or one wants nothing in life, being happy with nothing or near nothing, living a very basic existence.  Why is materialism seen negatively when it is the best thing there is.  Societies have progressed and obtained a better quality of life because of materialism.  The only people who are not materialistic are those who do not want to better themselves and are satisfied with nothing. Those who are not materialistic prefer to live at the very lowest denominator, with the only the bare rudiments. Who wants to live with only the bare rudiments and NOTHING ELSE?

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8. 61

   Zelkiiroposted 11 years ago

   Well, materialism can be a good thing, because after all, we are living in a material world, and I am a material girl.*
   
   *This is a flat-out lie

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9. 66

   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   I like my stuff.  Suggesting this is a core philosophy of my life is okay--but for anyone out there who has personal property, it puts us all under that category.  If you have personal property, you are materialist.

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10. 0

    Beth37posted 11 years ago

    The desire to acquire what you don't have will ultimately make you a person you don't want to be.

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    1. 86

       gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Not true at all, it makes one ambitious and want to have a better life for themselves and their families.  There is nothing wrong with striviing and working for the things that you do not have but want.  It is a GREAT motivator!

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          Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

          I think ambition to meet your/your family's needs is great. I don't think that's materialism though.

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          1. 59

             Silverspeederposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             One of the definitions to materialism denotes
             attention to or emphasis on material objects, needs, and considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of intellectual and spiritual values.
             Seems to suggest that needs and considerations could make you materialistic.

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             1. 86

                gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                Materialism is par for the course of living in a material world.   Either one is materialistic or one is forever ekeing out a subsistence or substandard living, living from hand to mouth and consistenly struggling, living on cast offs and throwaways, and/or doing without!

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                1. 59

                   janesixposted 11 years agoin reply to this

                   So it's best to grab all you can, regardless of whether anyone else is suffering to support your affluent lifestyle?

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