I find it interesting how we’re constantly encouraged to be mindful of our consumerism yet consumerism is pushed on us every single day. This is usually done by ads or sponsorships on tv, podcasts, social media, and many, many websites. If you see someone style something in a gorgeous way or see an item maybe unique, maybe on sale, being flaunted online, chances are… you’re going to want it, you’re going to get it, or maybe scroll past it?

People don’t like to outrightly brag about being materialistic, but I think most of us are into the ‘material’ part excluding the ‘ism’. In other words, we like stuff. I wonder if this is primarily because of how we want to look to other people or increase our so-called ‘social currency’. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong in wanting to look and feel good, instead, I see it as part of a self-care process that’s more external than internal. Also, wanting to be associated with good things doesn’t always mean you’re doing it for outside attention - yes, a part of us wants to show that we’re accomplished enough to afford some sort of glamor; but I think we also want to show ourselves we’ve overcome certain obstacles and that our hard work paid off, kind of a look how far we’ve come situation.

So, what is this thing called materialism? I’ll give you some synonyms from Google’s English dictionary: money-oriented, greedy, capitalistic, bourgeois, etc. Wow. The actual definition: excessively concerned with material possessions.

From this, it’s pretty clear that materialism is basically the unrestrained acquiring of stuff, perhaps being obsessed with things. At what point is the line from buying certain things infrequently to buying them all the time, essentially erased? Is it something we’re all bound to at some point?

I think there’s this idea that materialism and money can serve as a principal source of motivation, rather than inner fulfillment or selflessness. My question around this is does stuff really fulfill a person? for instance, does it give them joy? ‘Stuff’ can certainly make you happy in terms of spurring opportunities to do comfortable or fun things that involve money, but fulfillment can be much more of an internal factor that doesn’t 100% depend on ‘stuff’. For instance, there are people who feel fulfilled when they are able to achieve goals like working out every day, but you need money to buy workout clothes; if you love painting, being able to buy painting supplies will allow you to practice something that brings you joy. This is where it gets tricky because, we need ‘stuff’ to survive, quite literally. Being able to acquire what you need can certainly make you happy, automatically contributing to achieving fulfillment. It’s human nature to buy things we need and want, but it’s not materialistic unless it becomes ‘excessive’.

So, this blog is about the in-between factor, spotlighting the line between adequate and too much. You’re the one that can decide and acknowledge what’s too much for you and what’s just right. It’s also to reflect where fulfillment comes in because or in spite of ‘stuff’. I think the thought-provoking questions raised in this article are worth some consideration and your own perspective as these are topics often thought about, but how often are they analyzed?

Until the next one,

-C