Comments on: On Materialism, Living Simply, and Thrill-Seeking

By: JoyfulC

JoyfulC — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 02:39:03 +0000

My husband and I were active in a sport for years (him over 30, me about 24). It ate up huge chunks of time and money, leaving little left over for anything else. I guess I’d think of that as being more hedonistic than materialistic — we used to joke that we were grasshoppers, not ants. We always had to live very frugally all those years, but the funny thing is, when we quit the sport and no longer had to make such material sacrifices, we found that we actually enjoy being frugal and not very materialistic. Instead of treating ourselves to more material stuff like better computers or big screen TVs or other expensive hedonistic pursuits like travel or eating out, we saw the opportunity to scale back how much we had to work so we had more time just to get into our home and each other. It’s an incredibly sweet life, and the tax burden is waaaayyy lower. Bonus!

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:34:51 +0000

I call it being a “prioritized consumer”. I’ve never stepped foot in a Starbucks (probably the only American who hasn’t) and refuse to let the blitzkrieg of advertising skew my vision of savings.

However, I’ve been known to go all out on a trip to Mexico or update a kitchen (major expense) because I feel it’s a worthwhile expenditure. Think quality over quantity and keep your eye on the prize!

By: B Smith @ Wealth and Wisdom

B Smith @ Wealth and Wisdom — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:21:10 +0000

I think it depends on why you buy something. Are you doing it because it will enrich your life or because you want to impress the neighbors? We shouldn't be driven to materialism to impress others. This does lead to insecurity (emotional and financial). That being said we should not apologize for doing well and enjoying the fruits of our labors! I wrote a post a while back on this topic: The Real Housewives of Orange County...In Houston Texas.

By: Phil Baumann

Phil Baumann — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:41:24 +0000

I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with giving yourself *some* level of creature comforts, whether in the form of physical possessions or entertaining thrills. Both can be considered materialistic.

The basic problem with too much materialism relates to how comfortable we are with ourselves. If we’re not comfortable with who we are, when we are and where we are, our brains tend to seek satisfaction externally.

Socially, materialism seems to manifest mostly when people are missing some kind of spiritual or emotional grounding. Also, when the pace of life quickens, stress levels increase and so do the distractions. Seeking out things or thrills is the brains way of filling some empty hole in our souls.

Having some sort of daily or weekly ritual to appreciate things as they are, to appreciate simply being alive, is an important part of keeping our materialistic urges within healthy limits.

It’s OK to be materialistic (we are made of material things after all); it’s just a matter of keeping perspective. So it’s not so much materialism as it is your frame of mind. Denying ourselves some material comfort is just as unhealthy as gorging. Balance is the golden mean.