The Pope says that Christmas has been taken hostage by dazzling materialism that puts God in the shadows and blinds many to the needs of the hungry, the migrants, the homeless. Are you aware or are you among the blind?
Good point Rosie, I want the modern conveniences, nothing fancy, my home, car,computor etc. Trumps basics are at least a million bucks for pocket change.
Us too TomT. Nothing fancy. I get much joy from the computer as you probably have gathered by now. In my real life I'm a homebody and not all that social. But Answermug provides me with a way to interact with others without any strings. I'm here when I wanna be and not when I don't! I check out Google News and Yahoo news. I love emails because our relatives are all over the place. I can research whatever I want at any hour of the day or night! So I would miss it very much. Our TV provides much of our entertainment. Jim plays golf and tennis and there are always tournaments to watch. I like history and science and food shows! We have one car because we're both retired. That is not to say it would sadden us to win the Lotto! Thank you for your reply! :)
There are certain basic material things we all need to live tom. Shelter, food, access to medical care. Beyond that it's nice if you can afford a want or two as well. I wonder whom I would be if I were very wealthy? Our circumstances shape us. I'm pretty sure that is something I shall never experience..being wealthy. But we have enough to live a comfy life because we're pretty simple folks and don't require a whole lot. Thank you for your reply and Happy Tuesday! :)
This post was edited by RosieG at December 27, 2016 5:00 AM MST
What does that even mean? Materialism. Worship of material? We are all materialists. Do NOT fool yourself. DO you live in a house and drive a car? Or do you live on the sand in Ethiopia?
All of us. Materialists. Cannot live without it and cannot even survive without it. Just because I don't want a Mercedes, doesn't mean I can live on the streets with nothing. If you have a shopping cart with stuff in it from the garbage? Still materialistic.
What most people call "materialism" is, in fact, Status Competition.
People don't buy Rolex watches because they keep time better than a Casio or Timex. People buy Rolex watches to signal to other people "Look how wealthy/high status I am!"
While we all individually believe we are not affected by Status Competition or fall victim to its allure, there is a wealth of psychological research which suggests people in general are influenced by Status Competition and Status Signalling. One need only look at the recent presidential election and its effects upon how the United States will be governed for the next few years for obvious evidence.
TomThumb 