If materialism is so useless, why not live like Jesus lived? Give away all of your earthly things and travel the land spreading the word of god, surviving only off the good will of others and sleeping on the forest floor as god intended?
I'll tell you why you won't do that... because material things do give us happiness.
Most people are much happier with:
food to eat
water to drink
a car to travel from place to place with
a warm home to stay in
a soft bed to sleep on
hobbies to occupy their time (more often than not, having a hobby means possessing material objects)
If materialism is so useless, folks would simply make sure their basic needs were met, then spend the whole day staring at a blank wall.
The times when materialistic endeavors becomes useless is when people have some issue in life they're not dealing with and attempt to fill some void by shopping or by falling into that trap where they're trying to "keep up with the Jones," so to speak. If you are inherently unhappy in life, no amount of money or material possessions will help your state of mind until you deal with whatever is bothering you. Material things do bring us happiness though.
If you can't spend time alone with yourself in your own head, that's a reflection of something being wrong with you, not material possessions.
I, for one, tend to consider myself a materialist, but I'm also a bit of a minimalist, if that makes sense. I love my material possessions but I keep my things to a limited amount. I probably don't own more than 50 things in this world to be completely honest.
I'll tell you why you won't do that... because material things do give us happiness.
Most people are much happier with:
food to eat
water to drink
a car to travel from place to place with
a warm home to stay in
a soft bed to sleep on
hobbies to occupy their time (more often than not, having a hobby means possessing material objects)
If materialism is so useless, folks would simply make sure their basic needs were met, then spend the whole day staring at a blank wall.
The times when materialistic endeavors becomes useless is when people have some issue in life they're not dealing with and attempt to fill some void by shopping or by falling into that trap where they're trying to "keep up with the Jones," so to speak. If you are inherently unhappy in life, no amount of money or material possessions will help your state of mind until you deal with whatever is bothering you. Material things do bring us happiness though.
If you can't spend time alone with yourself in your own head, that's a reflection of something being wrong with you, not material possessions.
I, for one, tend to consider myself a materialist, but I'm also a bit of a minimalist, if that makes sense. I love my material possessions but I keep my things to a limited amount. I probably don't own more than 50 things in this world to be completely honest.
“Love is the only bow on Life’s dark cloud. It is the morning and the evening star. It shines upon the babe, and sheds its radiance on the quiet tomb. It is the mother of art, inspirer of poet, patriot and philosopher.
It is the air and light of every heart – builder of every home, kindler of every fire on every hearth. It was the first to dream of immortality. It fills the world with melody – for music is the voice of love.
Love is the magician, the enchanter, that changes worthless things to Joy, and makes royal kings and queens of common clay. It is the perfume of that wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts; but with it, earth is heaven, and we are gods.” - Robert. G. Ingersoll
It is the air and light of every heart – builder of every home, kindler of every fire on every hearth. It was the first to dream of immortality. It fills the world with melody – for music is the voice of love.
Love is the magician, the enchanter, that changes worthless things to Joy, and makes royal kings and queens of common clay. It is the perfume of that wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts; but with it, earth is heaven, and we are gods.” - Robert. G. Ingersoll
