ma·te·ri·al·is·tic

adjective
1. excessively concerned with physical comforts or the acquisition of
wealth and material possessions, rather than with spiritual,
intellectual, or cultural values.

The Madness of Materialism

Why are we so driven to accumulate possessions and wealth?

In January 1848, James Marshall was building a sawmill by a river near

present day Sacramento when he found a piece of glowing metal on the
floor, which turned out to be gold. Within a few weeks, once rumours of
the discovery had spread, tens of thousands of people were flocking to the
area, struck by ‘gold fever.' Ships were abandoned all over the California
coast, businesses closed down, and whole towns became deserted. In a
little over a year, San Francisco grew from shanty town of 79 buildings to
a city of tens of thousands. Over the next few years, at least 300,000
gold seekers came to California.

The effect on the Native Americans of California was catastrophic. They

were driven off their traditional hunting and gathering grounds, and their
rivers were polluted by gravel, silt and toxic chemicals from the new
mines. Some Indian groups used force to try to protect their lands, but
were massacred by the miners. Those who weren't killed by the miners
slowly starved to death, or died from diseases passed on by the
immigrants. Others were kept as slaves, while attractive young women were
carried off to be sold. As a result, the Californian Native American
population fell from around 150,000 in 1845 to 30,000 in 1870.

This savage materialism was typical of European immigrants' attitude to

the ‘New World' of America. They saw it as a treasure-house of resources
to ransack, and saw the native population as an inconvenient obstacle to
be eradicated.

Some tribes were so confused by the colonists' insatiable desire for gold
that they believed that the metal must be a kind of deity with
supernatural powers. Why else would they go to such lengths to get hold of
it? When an Indian chief in Cuba learned that Spanish sailors were about
to attack his island, he started to pray to a chest full of gold,
appealing to the ‘gold spirit' which he believed they worshipped. But the
‘gold spirit' didn't show him any mercy - the sailors invaded the island,
captured the chief and burned him alive.

Modern Materialism

In some ways the gold diggers' rampant materialism was understandable,

since they were living at a time of great poverty, and for many of them
gold digging seemed to offer an escape from starvation. But most of us in
the western, industrialized world don't have that excuse. Our appetite for
wealth and material goods isn't driven by hardship, but by our own inner
discontent. We're convinced that we can buy our way to happiness, that
wealth is the path to permanent fulfilment and well-being. We still
measure ‘success' in terms of the quality and price of the material goods
we can buy, or in the size of our salaries.

Our mad materialism would be more forgivable if there was evidence that
material goods and wealth do lead to happiness. But all the evidence fails
to show this. Study after study by psychologists has shown that there is
no correlation between wealth and happiness. The only exception is in
cases of real poverty, when extra income does relieve suffering and brings
security. But once our basic material needs are satisfied, our level of
income makes little difference to our level of happiness. Research has
shown, for example, that extremely rich people such as billionaires are
not significantly happier than people with an average income, and suffer
from higher levels of depression. Researchers in positive psychology have
concluded that true well-being does not come from wealth but from other
factors such as good relationships, meaningful and challenging jobs or
hobbies, and a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves
(such as a religion, a political or social cause, or a sense of mission).

Explanations for Materialism

Many economists and politicians believe that acquisitiveness - the impulse

to buy and possess things - is natural to human beings. This seems to make
sense in terms of Darwin's theory of evolution: since natural resources
are limited, human beings have to compete over them, and try to claim as
large a part of them as possible.

One of the problems with this theory is that there is actually nothing
‘natural' about the desire to accumulate wealth. In fact, this desire
would have been disastrous for earlier human beings. For the vast majority
of our time on this planet, human beings have lived as hunter-gatherers -
small tribes who would usually move to a different site every few months.
As we can see from modern hunter-gatherers, this way of life has to be
non-materialistic, because people can't afford to be weighed down with
unnecessary goods. Since they moved every few months, unnecessary goods
would simply be a hindrance to them, making it more difficult for them to
move.

Another theory is that the restlessness and constant wanting which fuels
our materialism is a kind of evolutionary mechanism which keeps us in a
state of alertness. (The psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi has
suggested this, for example) Dissatisfaction keeps living beings on the
lookout for ways of improving their chances of survival; if they were
satisfied they wouldn't be alert, and other creatures would take the
advantage.
But there is no evidence that other animals live in a state of restless
dissatisfaction. On the contrary, many animals seem to very slow and
static lives, content to remain within their niche and to follow their
instinctive patterns of behaviour. And if this is what drives our
materialism, we would probably expect other animals to be acquisitive too.
But again, there is no evidence that - apart from some food-hoarding for
the winter months - other animals share our materialistic impulses. If it
was necessary for living beings to be restless and constantly wanting then
evolution would surely have ground to a half millions of years ago.

In my view, acquisitiveness is best understood in psychological terms. Our

mad materialism is partly a reaction to inner discontent. As human beings'
it's normally for us to experience an underlying ‘psychological discord',
caused by the incessant chattering of our minds, which creates a
disturbance inside us, and often triggers negative thoughts. Another
source of ‘psychological discord' is the strong sense of separateness many
of us feel, the sense of being isolated individuals living in a world
which is ‘out there', on the other side of our heads.

We look to external things to try to alleviate our inner discontent.

Materialism certainly can give us a kind of happiness - the temporary
thrill of buying something new, and the ego-inflating thrill of owning it
afterwards. And we use this kind of happiness to try to override - or
compensate for - the fundamental unhappiness inside us.

In addition, our desire for wealth is a reaction to the sense of lack and
vulnerability generated by our sense of separation. This generates a
desire to makes ourselves more whole, more significant and powerful. We
try to ‘bolster' our fragile egos and make ourselves feel more complete by
accumulating wealth and possessions.

It doesn't work, of course - or at least, it only works for a very short

time. The happiness of buying or owning a new item rarely lasts longer
than a couple of days. The sense of ego-inflation generated by wealth or
expensive possessions can be more enduring, but it's very fragile too. It
depends on comparing yourself to other people who aren't as well off as
you, and evaporates if you compare yourself to someone who is wealthier
than you. And no matter how much we try to complete or bolster our ego,
our inner discontent and incompleteness always re-emerges, generating new
desires. No matter how much we get, it's never enough. As Buddhism
teaches, desires are inexhaustible. The satisfaction of one desire just
creates new desires, like a cell multiplying.

The only real way of alleviating this psychological discord is not by

trying to escape it, but by trying to heal it - which will have to be
subject of another blog.

Steve Taylor is a psychological lecturer and the author os several best-

selling books on psychology and spirituality, including The Fall, Waking
From Sleep and Out of the Darkness. Eckhart Tolle has described his work
as 'an important contribution to the global shift in consciousness
happening at the present time.' His website is www.stevenmtaylor.com

 How can I become more materialistic?

 What is the philosophy behind material possession?
 Will some day the world become a homogenized society?
 Why are people becoming so materialistic?
 What are some tips for becoming less materialistic?
 Everything is about money. Why our world became so materialistic? Can it be
changed?
 If everyone stops wanting the material possessions what would happen to the world
economy?
 Is it a disadvantage to not be a materialistic person in today's world?
 Why does my faith to Islam become stronger day by day when the world is mocking
Islam?
 Materialism (philosophy): What are some arguments against the Materialist school of
thought?
 Materialism (philosophy): What is one materialistic thing you own, use and greatly
proud you own it?
 Materialism (philosophy): What is that one materialistic thing you love and just can't
part with?
 How can a materialist science replace philosophy?
 Is it okay to be skeptical about the materialist philosophy?
 I feel like I am attaining nirvana. I am in the state where I realize everything in this
world is materialistic. Should I become a Saint?
 Is analytic philosophy an example of materialism?
 Why are people who are generally selfish and materialistic more successful in
obtaining material possessions?
 Why children are becoming more materialistic than before?
 If everyone became materialistic, how would the world be different?
 Philosophy: What is the opposite of materialism?
 What does the Bible say?
 1. Luke 12:15 He told the people, “Be careful to guard
yourselves from every kind of greed. Life is not about
having a lot of material possessions.”
 2. 1 John 2:16-17 For everything that is in the world—
the desire for fleshly gratification, the desire for
possessions, and worldly arrogance—is not from the
Father but is from the world. And the world and its
desires are fading away, but the person who does God’s
will remains forever.
 3. Proverbs 27:20 Just as Death and Destruction are
never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.
 4. 1 Timothy 6:9-10 But people who long to be rich fall
into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and
harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and
destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds
of evil. And some people, craving money, have
wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with
many sorrows.
 5. James 4:2-4 You want what you don’t have, so you
scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others
have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to
take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you
want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when
you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all
wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. You
adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the
world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you
want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an
enemy of God.

 Everything is vanity.
 6. Ecclesiastes 6:9 Enjoy what you have rather than
desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice
things is meaningless like chasing the wind.
 7. Ecclesiastes 5:10-11 Those who love money will
never have enough. How meaningless to think that
wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the
 more people come to help you spend it. So what good is
wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your
fingers!
 8. Ecclesiastes 2:11 But as I looked at everything I had
worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so
meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing
really worthwhile anywhere.
 9. Ecclesiastes 4:8 This is the case of a man who is all
alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to
gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself,
“Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much
pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

 Loving money
 10. Hebrews 13:5 Don’t love money; be satisfied with
what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I
will never abandon you.
 11. Mark 4:19 but the worries of this life, the
deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things
come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

 Sometimes people become materialistic trying to
compete with others and by envying the lifestyle of
other materialistic people.
 12. Psalm 37:7 Be still in the presence of the LORD, and
wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil
people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
 13. Psalm 73:3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the
prosperity of the wicked.

 Seeking satisfaction in things will lead you to despair.
Only in Christ will you ever find true satisfaction.
 14. Isaiah 55:2 Why do you spend money on what cannot
nourish you and your wages on what does not satisfy
 you?
Listen carefully to me: Eat what is good, and enjoy the
best foods.
 15. John 4:13-14 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this
water will soon become thirsty again. But those who
drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It
becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving
them eternal life.”
 16. Philippians 4:12-13 I know how to live on almost
nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of
living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach
or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything
through Christ, who gives me strength.

 Compared to people in other countries we are rich.
We should be rich in good deeds and give to the
needy.
 17. 1 Timothy 6:17-18 Teach those who are rich in this
world not to be proud and not to trust in their money,
which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who
richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Tell them
to use their money to do good. They should be rich in
good works and generous to those in need, always being
ready to share with others.
 18. Acts 2:45 They sold their property and possessions
and shared the money with those in need.

 Set your mind on Christ.
 19. Colossians 3:2-3 Set your affection on things above,
not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God.

 Reminders
 20. 2 Peter 1:3 By his divine power, God has given us
everything we need for living a godly life. We have
received all of this by coming to know him, the one who
called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and
excellence.
 21. Proverbs 11:28 He that trusteth in his riches shall
fall; but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

 Prayer to help you
 22. Psalm 119:36-37 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from
worthless things; preserve my life according to your
word.

 Be Content
 23. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 Of course, godliness with
contentment does bring a great profit. Nothing to this
world we bring; from it take we nothing. With food to eat
and clothes to wear; content we are in everything.

 Trust God and love him with all your heart.
 24. Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell
in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in
the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will
act.
 25. Matthew 22:37 And he said to him, “You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.