Can Materialism Destroy a Marriage?

The different upbringing always well-dressed lifestyle and good standard of my life back in South Africa allowed me to feel good about myself.

The change has made me see my roots still matter and would not want to lose that part of myself. Life is simple and safe in my adoptive country.

There is no amount of money in the world that could make me happy.

Everything I do and say reacts to is from my instincts.

Money cannot buy love.

Couples who think money can buy their happiness in their marriages eventually fall apart especially when the focus is on materialism.

For example:

My neighbour married at the age of fifty after a recently arranged meeting he met a woman from across the border somewhere in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The culture is slightly different in that part of the world in comparison to the Croatian culture.

Unemployment is high mostly the unemployed come to Croatia in search of better-paid jobs.

Most Bosnia-Herzegovina women marry rich Croatian men to have a better life. In some cases, such relationships work out well for both partners.

In this case, he rescued her from a very poor standard lifestyle, and since she is in her late forties fits in nicely with his age group.

Love is not about money!

The woman enjoys showing off her valuables to me which find is meaningless to me.

Her life has changed greatly and now the focus is on what he buys for her and how much she paid for her items.

Money has changed her lifestyle and she thinks money is her everything.

Be it jewellery or a new cell phone her idea of immediately showing me is her number one way of trying to say, ''I have a new cell phone,'' and in a very flashy kind of way.

Whenever she purchases a new item she shows it off to me.

What would you call a person of that sort?

I do not mind her behaviour though it can also be very annoying when I do not care much about what she has or has not.

Money is her key to happiness it is like she wants to compete with what I have which I think is quite ridiculous.

I understand her behaviour she was deprived of a good life now that money has solved her issues life looks too good to be true.

They have a priority on spending money and such marriages are not stable.

There is not much satisfaction in such types of marriages. Arranged and sorted out couples who feel money buys their happiness.

It is more about materialism she is a less-educated person and emotionally immature and less responsive.

I have learned that people who think this way have poor communication skills with their partners often their negativity shows friction.

When two people are not satisfied with each other in their relationship the marriage becomes unstable and the problems are solved with lavish spending.

Couples in such cases like to own expensive items to show off or to impress others.

Money to these people can buy them happiness, but when money dries out so does everything else in a relationship, it gradually fades away.

What these couples do not pay attention to is quite surprising in the aspects of their marriage.

The priority is money and other aspects of their marriage are neglected as communication, respect, the lack of a solid foundation and the actual stability of marriage are not noticed by both partners.

It is sad to see as I have seen and know of this couple.

Couples who do not care much for materialism have more stability and communication in their marriages.

This is exactly the opposite of those who have high levels of materialism.

When an individual has been deprived of a good living from childhood, they tend to seek another way of happiness.

Personality traits do show their behaviour in adulthood in a less-satisfied relationship.

Money becomes the priority when there is not much left to put into their marriage.

I put it down to her poor lifestyle back in her country.

Her marriage is not stable, and the weak foundation of her marriage is causing difficulties.

It is always about her having something new and flashing it in my face. Her way of impressing me and many others.

It was the first time for me to have come across a narcissistic person such as her.

Her low self-esteem has caused her to be this way and the poor skills in her relationship have made her marriage feel helpless.

In this marriage both partners are materialistic but what he and she do not see is the void they are trying to fill and that is their marital issue.

Buying what she likes and wants to have to compare with another makes her feel happiest because the void has been filled.

What happens when only one person is the materialistic one?

In such marriages, a partner who is not materialistic encourages a stable marriage and communication skills are greatly improved.

Couples who shared different values in a marriage have a more stable marriage.

I see that she is a less-educated person and lived a deprived life and I do not mind her lack of mentality.

We are from different worlds and she is no competition to me.

How would you suggest I deal with her behaviour?

I often wish her my best and congratulate her for having new items but is there some other way that you can suggest to me?

I am a confident person and have a special character and have opened my conversations with many people something she will never be or could do.

Small minds think alike and fortunately, I am not that small-minded person.

I still like to face up to my challenges it makes me stronger and more fulfilled.

I avoid big conversations with such people because it can become a complicated issue and it is not easy to reason with such people.

I do what I know best and what I know enlightens my life.

I have always been the one that sticks out in a crowd and no one can be me only I can be that person.

Somehow this woman compares herself to me and buys what I have.

Love and happiness mean more to me than having all that money in the world.

Materialism has a lot to do with the way one is raised in their culture and lifestyle.

Knowing that my life was different from her lifestyle does make a huge difference for us both.

Somehow, I detected a kind of jealousy from her, not that would turn me inside out.

I am always having my head high and chest out the proud one with no turning back.

Marriage is a great commitment and requires full thought to get into and with the high divorce rate, many couples are trying not to get into marriage.