Are We Mere Puppets Chasing Materialistic Dreams?
Mankind has come a long way from being mere cavemen building fires to building skyscrapers that touch the very skies, we have surpassed infinite barriers and gained abundant knowledge in science and technology. Science has played an integral role in helping us unearthing a plethora of mysteries, but nevertheless, it doesn’t explain the psychology of man and our thought processes. For example, we have not been able to figure out as to why a lot of us equate happiness with things with materialistic values. To put it in technical terms, materialism is the attitude of an individual who puts material gains over anything else. Such people are inclined to overvalue money while undervaluing social relationships. For instance, often people reproduce appreciation and love for others by buying them gifts instead of doing things that help them deepen their relationships.
Owning money-grubbing stuff isn’t bad, but what’s lacking is the underlying hard work to get them, and that makes a huge difference. To understand this doctrine better, we must also look at the various factors from which materialism stems up. The society around us is one of the major players in this cause. We are being hardwired by society into believing that “making it” in this world means being rich, famous and being valued by the masses. What people don’t realize is that when we own material possessions, they are just a distraction, just temporary happiness. All our worldly belongings could just vanish in a blink of an eye, but if we do things that actually make a difference in someone’s life, the satisfaction which we get cannot be taken away. It resides with us throughout the cycle of life.
Reaching out to a ton of people at the same time, so effectively has never been much easier. Social media is a powerful and omnipresent force which dictates every aspect of our lives. But social media has become so widespread and easy to access that it is hard not to feel its adverse effects. Whatever we consume in social media is not always true and often misinterpreted. When people post a photo of themselves posing in front of luxury cars wearing expensive clothes with a wide grin on their faces, people perceive that happiness is directly proportional to having ostentatious belongings. All materialistic things come with a price, but the smile a homeless person gives you when you offer him food or clothes is absolutely priceless. You can’t put a price on those things.
Our craving for reverence and the insatiable desire to fit in with the world fuels the will to add another façade to your personality. We cannot end up sacrificing everything just for the sake of pursuing materialistic goals. There must be an equilibrium of this. There are a lot of measures that can be taken to sustain this balance. Social psychologists believe that two types of goals exist, namely, extrinsic and intrinsic goals. Extrinsic goals entail becoming rich and polishing your public figure. Intrinsic goals involve fulfilling endeavors that make you a complete person and help us understand a more profound meaning of life. Studies have shown that for those pursuing extrinsic goals ail from poor health, anxiety and depression. The trick is to switch to intrinsic goals. What people must realize is that when you are about to depart this world, you remember experiences, family and friends and not the shiny new Rolex you bought ages ago. We must also practice gratitude as it helps us understand the value of things. It helps us shed feelings of greed and the unquenchable thirst for materialistic things. To conclude, we must invest in experiences and relationships and not in shiny trinkets that come with a price tag.
By- Advaith Venkat
