Materialism is the desire of some individuals
to acquire and consume excessive amounts of
material goods.
Conspicuous consumption is a similar concept
except the goal is to show off one’s wealth
in an overt way.
Materialism and conspicuous consumption often
go hand in hand.
That is, somebody who likes buying lots of
expensive goods often enjoys publicly displaying
those goods.
Chinese Consumerism
A few decades ago, Chinese were extremely
frugal.
Very few people owned cars as most rode bicycles.
It wasn’t unheard of people being attacked
if they went around showing off their wealth.
Fast forward to today and now China has overtaken
the U.S. as the world’s largest car market.
Private school girls no longer want normal
shoes, but the latest designer ones.
I know this for a fact, because one of my
wife’s relations is desperately seeking
the newest, most expensive shoes one can buy.
It’s not just her.
All her classmates are stomping around in
the latest Gucci or Buscemi shoes.
At around $1500 a pair, one must wonder who
needs such an obviously overpriced item.
It is theorised that China’s one-child policy
(which recently became a two-child policy)
has had a huge negative impact on the attitudes
of young Chinese.
Many children have been raised in families
that have spoilt them rotten.
While I was working over in Beijing as a private
kindergarten teacher, one of my student’s
parents invited me over to their home a few
times.
I soon realised how much they were spoiling
their three year old son.
Any toy he wanted, they bought.
Any food he wanted to eat, they provided.
And it wasn’t just them.
The boy’s extended family did the same.
He literally had a single room almost filled
with toys.
I could tell the parents felt a little bit
embarrassed by it, but they still allowed
it to happen.
Obviously any child who is raised in an environment
where everyone around them is doing everything
possible to satisfy their every desire – then
that child is going to think that they are
king shit.
I saw it at the kindergarten.
Kids treated other kids with contempt.
I also saw the parents every morning dressed
up in their latest designer gear trying to
show off to the other parents.
It was a sad state of affairs.
Reasons for Materialism and Displays of Wealth
Capitalism.
Obviously our whole economic system relies
on people buying stuff they don’t need.
This is achieved in a number of ways, from
extensive advertising and marketing campaigns
as was seen with diamonds and jewellery, to
underhand tactics such as planned obsolescence.
It’s terrible for the environment, but as
long as we keep our current form of capitalism,
greedy companies will continue to convince
use to buy shit we don’t need.
Social Status.
Some of us see owning stuff as a way to increase
our social status.
In places like China, fine wines are bought
purely to impress business associates.
The government even had to crack down on extravagant
displays of wealth by forcing government workers
not to buy top of the line Baijiu (Chinese
white liquor).
Some of us think that buying a Lexus is going
to impress other people.
I think it makes you look like a dick.
Self-worth.
For whatever reason, some people think that
they have to prove to others that they are
a success by showing them how much they own.
This is one of the reasons I quit using Facebook,
at least my personal account.
It started to get on my nerves that every
second person was putting up a picture of
their new car or house, basically saying “Look
at me!
I have a new car!
Do you feel envious of me?”.
Aggressive Ostentation.
This is a theory by the American journalist
Dick Meyer who stated that “aggressive ostentation”
is a form of antisocial behaviour that occurs
as a result of people feeling like they have
become anonymous within their societies.
In the past, the blacksmith of a village was
well-known and respected, but now most people
feel like they are nobodies in their communities.
By buying and displaying lots of material
goods, they get attention (even if it’s
not of the good kind).
Happiness.
Although most of us probably know that happiness
gained from buying stuff is fleeting, many
people still do it in the vain hope that they
will become happy.
It’s an illusion that was probably introduced
to us by the large advertising companies.
Just look at any Coca-cola ad.
Happy faces and pretty people all around!
Downside of Materialism
Income Inequality.
High levels of conspicuous consumption almost
certainly indicates a larger social problem
of income inequality.
Obviously not every child in China is prancing
around in Buscemi shoes – probably only
the top 0.4%.
Any society that allows such inequality will
eventually fail or suffer a major restructuring.
If the majority of people of a society are
poor, and they are constantly seeing rich
people ponce about in their latest designer
gear, then eventually they’re going to get
angry and take revenge.
It’s happened hundreds of times throughout
history.
Don’t doubt the will of a person who has
nothing.
Zero-sum Game.
When a person buys something to try to increase
their social status, they in turn reduce the
social status of other people around them.
Other people then have to go out and purchase
more things in order to keep up, consequently
forcing the original person to go out and
purchase more in order to stay on top.
It’s much like an arm’s race where countries
have to keep on increasing their military
budgets in order to keep up with their neighbours.
It actually doesn’t benefit anyone and is
bad for society.
Low Self-esteem.
The people I’ve met who I would classify
as suffering from materialism, almost certainly
have low self-esteem.
I don’t blame them.
It’s almost definitely a result of their
upbringing.
Parents have got to instil the right values
into their children.
If we are constantly buying our children everything
they desire at the drop of a hat, they will
never learn some of life’s most important
lessons like patience, hard work and earning
what you get.
We should be striving for a society that teaches
our children to help one another.
Instead of teaching them that material wealth
is good, we should be showing them how to
share and care for one another.
What’s the point of owning a Rolls-Royce
if its only going to distance you from the
rest of society?
Materialism and conspicuous consumption doesn’t
benefit society.
It only creates a generation of greedy, self-centred
individuals who care little for the normal
person.
We should all be fighting against this new
norm.
I’d like to finish with a few quotes:
If everyone demanded peace instead of another
television set, then there’d be peace.
– John Lennon
Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes,
working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we
don’t need.
The things you own end up owning you.
It’s only after you lose everything that
you’re free to do anything.
– Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
The world says: “You have needs — satisfy
them.
You have as much right as the rich and the
mighty.
Don’t hesitate to satisfy your needs; indeed,
expand your needs and demand more.”
This is the worldly doctrine of today.
And they believe that this is freedom.
The result for the rich is isolation and suicide,
for the poor, envy and murder.
– Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
