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Consumerism and Materialism

Lark

Active member
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
29,569
Tangent from What's Your Religion.

Do you think these are inherently wrong or emphatically good or perhaps you have a position some place in between/would accept either position with qualification? What is your position and is it based on religion, ideology or experience?
 

nolla

Senor Membrane
Joined
May 22, 2008
Messages
3,166
MBTI Type
INFP
If the system wasn't based on consumerism, then it might be ok.
 
G

Ginkgo

Guest
There's a point at which materialism becomes excessive, though there's nothing inherently wrong with building material wealth for sustenance. Eventually, you're going to overflow and gorge yourself like a tick; and this is the threshold which many people don't recognize. They don't rationalize why they have what they have, if they deserve it, or if it could be allocated for a better cause.

Consumerist culture is geared toward blurring the lines between need and desire. Eventually, your desire is going to infringe upon the needs of someone else. That's the negative underbelly of materialism.

I don't base my opinion on religion. I base it upon the observable imbalance of wealth and material that is found nationally and internationally.

LOL, why the fuck does the edit button say "Vote Now"? Sweet, I get to be an egalitarian for my reconsidered posts. :laugh:
 

Mycroft

The elder Holmes
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
1,068
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
I don't really understand why some people consider it a horrible thing to want physical testaments to your study and efforts. I understand that what constitutes "success" differs from person to person, but I can't help but notice that many times people denouncing material achievement are clearly doing it of resentment.
 

Venom

Babylon Candle
Joined
Feb 10, 2008
Messages
2,126
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I don't really understand why some people consider it a horrible thing to want physical testaments to your study and efforts. I understand that what constitutes "success" differs from person to person, but I can't help but notice that many times people denouncing material achievement are clearly doing it of resentment.

+1

Here is what I say:

1. "If you Have everything in the world to live with, but nothing to live for, then you are truly a poor man".

2. You can be happy with or without money.

If we accept that these propositions are true, then attacking materialism and consumerism is sort of missing the point. There is no point in limiting your material pleasure/comfort "just because". The "have" or "lack of" is not the point: the point is maintaining other passions along side your materials.

Thus it would make more sense to teach how to maintain purpose with any level of material, rather than condemn the material wealth.
 
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