A Material World

This country has always been about materialism since the industrial revolution which has lead to the capitalist title of our economy. Materialism has become a way of life, the more we have the more we want. Where does it end? When is enough, enough? We live in such a specialized economy we have access to things we would never be able to have if we were all self-sufficient producers. As people we access to the the best that money can buy; luxury cars, computers, big flat screen televisions, cellphones, and designer clothing. Many of these items have become a basic necessity or need and have made life comfortable and or convenient for our current society. 

But materialism comes at a high price. The negatives are much harder to see and sometimes take time to accumulate, especially since we are blind as to the production and logistics. This greed and materialism leads the seller to often lie to the buyer who has unreal expectations of what a particular product will deliver. One ends up with personal immorality and the other with dissatisfaction and disappointment and frustration. Because of materialism, many people are constantly searching for the newest and or best thing so they forget to look at what's already there and appreciate it. And because the bar is constantly being raised for what is the newest and best, people become depressed that they're so far behind and can't keep up. This obviously leads to crime, as people try harder and harder to get what they can't afford. In my opinion materialism has caused our society to become more and more depressed and stressed and has made the path to happiness harder to find.

When we realize there is a whole lot more to life than what is seen with the naked eye, then we do not desire the things of this world anymore. Excessive greed and materialism have lead to desires and attachments to that which does not last, wanting more than we need and misinterpreting "wants" as "needs". Materialism has long been a plague that humankind has sought to over come without apparent success.