12 Reasons to Live a Less Materialistic Life

We live in a society where getting things is more important than other things in our lives. We are always on our phones and tablets, and we fill our homes with the latest technology.

by Dr. Barış Tunçbilek
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Why would you need to be less materialistic?

We live in a society where getting things is more important than other things in our lives. We are always on our phones and tablets, and we fill our homes with the latest technology.

We also spend a lot of money on branded clothing and accessories, even though they are often made in the same factory as non-branded items.

However, you should be aware that there is a growing backlash against materialism. This movement is gaining momentum.

You should make an effort to avoid being materialistic for a variety of reasons, but the 12 reasons that are listed below are among the most important ones.

You should read them to learn the reasons why you should start being less materialistic right away.

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1. The Marks on the Field Are Continually Moving

The biggest problem with being a materialist is that you can always move on to more expensive things, no matter how rich or comfortable you get.

This happens due to the fact that the human mind is very adaptable, and any new abilities or possessions are quickly integrated into normalcy. After you have obtained them, they will quickly disappear into the background.

This phenomenon is referred to as the “consumption treadmill.”

No purchase you make will ever bring you closer to happiness; instead, it will simply speed up the treadmill, forcing you to buy more expensive things to satisfy your needs.

2. The Level of Expected Satisfaction Is Typically Greater Than the Level of Achieved Satisfactionas

When you think about buying something, you probably do so with high expectations of how satisfied you will be after doing so, only to be let down once you actually make the purchase.

When you first get your hands on something, you may experience a shift in how you feel about it, which can be a form of cognitive dissonance.

The allure of it will end for you when it can no longer fulfill your hopes and dreams for the future and you come to terms with the cold, hard facts regarding the benefits it will bring you.

This is due in part to the shifting goalposts that were discussed earlier, but there is another factor at play here.

It is likely that when you imagine yourself using the item, you will do so in an unreal environment, free of the worries and pressures that come with living a normal life.

In the course of your normal activities, you will find that the thing in question does not live up to your expectations.

3. Materialistic people are typically unable to find happiness in their lives.

There is a significant body of research that can be found by doing a Google search (if you want to read it), which demonstrates that materialistic people experience more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions.

They are more likely than most people to have anxiety disorders, depression, and other health problems.

In its purest form, the pursuit of material gain is directly correlated with a life that is, in the long run, less happy.

4. Over the course of your life, you have developed less gratitude.

People who are driven by a constant desire to acquire ever-more-expensive and recently-released material goods lose their capacity for gratitude.

They become so focused on the next “thing” that they fail to acknowledge the abundance of “things” that are all around them.

They have a difficult time being appreciative of the prosperity that made it possible for them to purchase it in the first place because they value each individual item less.

This attitude of not being thankful can affect their whole lives, including their relationships with other people, their careers, and their sense of what their lives are all about.

5. The majority of people don’t make nearly enough use of their possessions.

One of the most embarrassing things about living in this modern world is that we don’t use many of the things we buy.

Despite the fact that materialists are not the only people who have this desire, it is strongly related to the habits and desires that materialists have in particular.

When you have more things, it becomes more difficult to make the most of the ones you already have. To put it another way, since you only have so much storage space, adding more things to your collection prevents you from making full use of, let alone taking pleasure in, the items you already have.

6. Clutter Creates Stress

It should come as no surprise that the more you shop, the more stuff you’ll end up with taking up space in your home. Even if it isn’t always obvious, having a lot of stuff in your closets, attics, and cupboards may cause you to feel more stressed out than someone who doesn’t have as much stuff.

Clutter affects your brain in many ways, none of which are good. If for no other reason, you should probably avoid materialism for this reason alone.

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7. Acquiring new things won’t help you develop as a person.

When analyzing any aspect of our lives, we should do so with the intention of finding ways to make those aspects better. It is important for us to examine not only how it will affect our mental and physical health, but also how it will affect our moral and social responsibilities.

It is difficult to understand how material possessions and things can actually improve your situation or you as a person if they go beyond the more fundamental requirements for a comfortable life.

8. The pursuit of material goods undermines interpersonal connections and exacerbates feelings of isolation.

We only have so much mental space, and when that space is taken up by an obsession with the material world, it makes us less appreciative of our personal relationships.

According to the results of one study, the relationship between materialism and loneliness is cyclical, with each factor making the other worse.

To put it another way, the more attention you pay to amassing monetary wealth, the more likely it is that you will experience feelings of isolation.

9. The pursuit of material goods is a source of envy.

Envy is one of the seven deadly sins, and it’s almost certain that a person will give in to it if all of their hopes and dreams are focused on getting certain things, like a big house, a flashy car, or the latest technology.

When you start hanging out with other people who are as materialistic as you are, your dreams will have to compete with the realities that other people are living.

And keep in mind that regardless of how wealthy you are, there will always be someone who is wealthier than you.

Your first instinct will be to look at these people with envy, which will only make you want to get more and more things.

Because you will always be able to compare yourself to someone who is better off financially and lives a more luxurious lifestyle than you do, you will never feel content. This is similar to the moving goalposts that were discussed earlier.

10. You Will Never, Ever Reflect Upon Your Accumulated Property Again

As you get older, or even in the years in between, it is highly unlikely that you will look back on your life and be nostalgic about the various material possessions that have come and gone throughout your life.

When you think back on the expensive clothes you once wore or the cutting-edge smartphone that once graced your palm, you will never be able to muster up a smile. These are not the kinds of things that contribute to the formation of memories.

11. Your material possessions will not be the reason why people remember you.

When everything is said and done, and you have moved on from this world to whatever comes after, the people who talk about your life won’t remember your material wealth as the thing that stands out in their minds when they do so.

It will be your unique personality, the laughs they shared with you, and the special times you both spent together that people will remember.

It will be the example that you set for those who are around you, as well as the good that you accomplished during the time that you were present on this planet.

12. Having memorable experiences is more important than having material possessions.

This final argument against materialism is a natural progression from the two points that came before it.

Spending money on experiences rather than material possessions is now thought by scientists to be almost certain to result in greater levels of long-term happiness for the vast majority of people.

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When you get older, you tend to think back on your experiences, and when you’re gone, other people tend to remember you based on the experiences they had with you.

Experiences become a part of your life story; they aid in forming who you are, fostering relationships, promoting cooperation, and offering a joy that is incomparable to anything material.

You can’t put a price on an experience. No matter how much money you spend, you can’t compare the feelings you feel at the time of the event to anything else.

This means there should be no feelings of envy or shifting of the goal posts; experiences should be taken for what they are.

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