Admit it: Americans are engulfed with materialistic ideals and the holiday season marks the height of that materialism.
It didn’t happen overnight, though, according to “The Funds, Friends and Faith of Happy People,” by D. G. Myers, published in American Psychologist in 2000. In 1966, when college freshmen were surveyed about what they were going to do with their lives, 44 percent said it was important or essential to become well off financially, but by 1996 that had risen to 73 percent. In 1966, conversely, 83 percent said it was important to develop a philosophy of life, but by 1996 that had dropped to 42 percent.
It is evident one motivation has displaced the other. Hearing about a philosophy of life is a rarity. However, money and property have become our focal point: whether we want to admit it or not, we believe we are what we own.
I’ll admit it. For a while I was concerned about the type of car I drove, the brand of clothes I wore and all the other nonsense that I now find to be of little importance. At one point I wore two carat diamond studs in each of my ears, but I have since downgraded to a less ostentatious quarter carat. In the end, it’s not going to matter how big my diamonds were or whether I drove a Ford or a Ferrari. That’s not what will determine my worth. The status of a person is not how much money he or she has or what he or she does for a living --- the real importance of a person is how he or she treats everybody, particularly the people who are deemed lower than them in society. For me, the only thing that’s going to matter is that I lived my life to the fullest and did everything I possibly could to help those around me in need.
I’m not saying I’m a pauper. Quite the opposite is the case. I like to spend money just like everyone else. However, I know my limitations, and I choose not to exceed them. Most people in their twenties, like me, do not share my sentiments on the subject. In judging by our conspicuous consumption, our generation’s priorities are whacked. It’s all about getting the bling without getting anything into the brain.
We spend too much time showcasing, or stunting (as our generation calls it), material goods that we can’t afford. Enthralled with outdoing each other, many individuals live well beyond their means, causing more debt and more superficiality. According to the Federal Reserve, over 40 percent of U.S. families spend more than they earn and a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report claimed 93 percent of all Americans will retire financially dependent on the government, family or charity.
There is nothing wrong with spending hard-earned money and enjoying the fruits of your labor. However, “On Happiness and Human Potentials: A Review of Research on Hedonic and Eudaimonic Well-being” by R. M. Ryan and E. L. Deci published in the Annual Review of Psychology in 2001, revealed that rich people are not happier and that adding wealth to your life does not increase a sense of well-being.
Instead of amassing Benjamins in our pockets and bonds in our portfolios, we should be spending our money on what will actually make us happier.
For each of us, that will mean something different. Personally, I love the idea of socio-capitalism: be humane and still make money. In no way am I saying that those who can support others should do so. It’s their money and they should be able to do with it as they want. I do, however, think it’s completely messed up when people base their life’s worth on the amount of money and possessions they’ve accumulated instead of realizing the number of people they could have helped.
This way of thinking could and should be applied to my college, Birmingham-Southern, and its surrounding community. Located in the western section of Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham-Southern College is a gated community in an older, dilapidated, high-crime area three miles from downtown. I remember during freshman orientation being told not to turn right at the light because of the “bad” neighborhood. Returning to campus on various occasions, I often notice numerous homeless individuals with signs. One that particularly stuck with me read, “Being homeless isn’t a crime, but ignoring it is,” and I couldn’t help but think about the positive influence that BSC could have on not only the community that exists beyond the gate, but even the city of Birmingham itself.
Venture into the parking lot on campus and without a doubt you will see a number of automobiles whose price tags greatly exceed $30,000, while OnBoard LLC, a real estate information company, lists the 2005 median household income for individuals who live in the surrounding community as $23,773. What is even more interesting is that I am referring to the student parking lot. Again, I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with that. I, myself, happen to be one of those individuals. I just think that if all I am concerned with is gaining material goods just for the sake of being able to say I have this or I have that means that a problem exists and there is a bit of disconnect with reality.
The disparity between the rich and poor is colossal. In “Sick of Poverty,” published in the December 2005 issue of Scientific American, Robert Sapolsky makes the point that as differences grow, the wealthy also become less inclined to pay taxes that benefit the average person. As time progresses, the rich get richer and the middle is not raised, and these differences will continue to compound themselves. His report shows that materialism becomes a threat to the unity on which any well-ordered, democratic society is based.
“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”
- Will Smith
The December 23rd issue of The Economist includes a cover story on happiness and how to achieve it.
Commentary (1)
1 week, 2 days ago on Wednesday, December 27, 2006
This is actually a commentary piece I wrote some time ago and revised for my EH204: Writing for the Print Media class. It was published in the December 4, 2006 issue of The Hilltop, Birmingham-Southern College’s student newspaper.