Materialism: Is It The Key To Making Us Happy?
As a kid, I thought I had it all figured out. I was so fascinated by the sky we live under, and by those who explore it. I desperately wanted to work for NASA and go to space one day. I vividly remember watching documentaries on PBS about space exploration and learning about the space shuttle, The Challenger, exploding over Cape Canaveral from a CD that I borrowed from the library. Even after this, I feared nothing, and I knew that this is what I wanted to do. One day, I excitedly told my father about my dream and he shut it down. “Choose something more realistic. You have little to no chance to work for NASA. Study hard and become a doctor. You will make lots of money and you will be very happy.” And from that day forward, for at least six years, I thought that I had it all figured out… again.
My new dream was to be a doctor because I wanted to make my dad and myself happy. In 2010, I met a local author, Hunter Darden. Darden is a columnist for The Charlotte Observer; she compiled her favorite columns into her book, Horse Sense and Savvy. The columns basically entail all of the life lessons she has learned. I don’t remember what I said to her, but when I recently found the book that she signed for me, I realized how silly I was to live someone else’s dream. Inside the front cover she wrote: “To Julia, live life with horse sense and savvy!! Hang on to your dream of being a doctor!!” Throughout high school my dad reminded me, “Be a doctor so you can make lots of money.” But, as I started to stray away from my parent’s teachings, I started to develop my own set of beliefs, and my desire to be a doctor began to plummet. I realized that medicine wasn’t something I was even remotely passionate about, and ever since I lost my big dream of working for NASA, I didn’t think I had found anything else I was passionate about that could potentially become a career. The huge paycheck that I could potentially make as a doctor didn’t motivate me either. Now, I here I am, an international business major, flipping through the pages of Darden’s book. Under her column entitled Same Time… Next year, one quote catches my eye every time: “establishing and taking care of our special friendships should be a life priority. Our friends are the equity line of credit that balances our lives and strengthens our spirits.” Being an extrovert, I agree with her completely because I am aware that the positive relationships I maintain bring me joy everyday. But relationships are not the only thing that increases happiness. Darden’s lesson just scratches the surface.
The documentary, Minimalism: A Documentary about the Important Things, explains Darden’s realization even further. The protagonist, Ryan Nicodemus, tells his story of climbing to the top of the corporate ladder in his twenties, and becoming “successful,” but feeling completely unfulfilled and unhappy. He expressed his concern, “I had everything I ever wanted, everything I was ‘supposed’ to have: I had an impressive job title… I earned a six-figure income. I bought a shiny new car every couple years. I owned a huge, three-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-thousand-square-foot condo… I may have looked successful, but I certainly didn’t feel successful. It got to a point where I didn’t know what was important anymore. But one thing was clear: there was this gaping void in my life… So I tried to fill that void the same way many people do: with stuff.” The documentary goes on to talk about “the important things:” relationships, experiences, having less anxiety, etc. Ryan quotes, “So much of our life is lived in a fog of automatic and habitual behavior. We spend so much time on the hunt. But nothing quite ever does it for us, and we get so wrapped up in the hunt, that it makes us miserable.” So, we turn to material things to give us a short high. We are happy for a little while, then the thing makes us bored or we begin to take it for granted. Then, we lust after a new thing, so we try to make more money so we can get that new thing that everybody wants. But why are we humans like this? What makes us fall into this cycle? Jesse Jacobs, an entrepreneur in the documentary states “As humans, we are wired to become dissatisfied. It’s an addiction, really.”
But is materialism really an addiction? Or is it something else? In October 2012, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), took a couple weeks to experiment on mice. They had the mice run through the same, simple maze over and over again. Through repetition and aural cues, the habit was fully ingrained into the brain over time. The researchers then broke it by interfering with the infralimbic (IL) cortex, a part of the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain involves planning complex cognitive behavior, personality expression and decision making. They interfered with this part of the brain using a specific technique called optogenetics; which allowed them to block activity in the IL cortex for several seconds with light, as the mice approached the point in the maze where they had to decide which way to turn. Then, the mices’ brains switched from reflex and habit, to a more engaged mode, focused on an objective. When the mice repeated this specific set of actions, eventually it became a new habit. The researchers were able to break that habit too. However, once the researchers broke the second habit, the mice defaulted to their old habit. This led the researchers to the conclusion that old habits are never forgotten, just replaced. The mice felt comfortable in these habits, so they allowed it to take over their bodies when running through the maze. This can be related to humans as well. “When we enjoy certain stimulation, chemicals such as dopamine are released into the brain; relieving stress, improving mood, and providing a sense of reward. But as we repeat the behavior, our tolerance builds, requiring more stimulation to trigger the dopamine receptors” (Lump). So the documentary had a point. Most of us do live in “a fog of automatic and habitual behavior.” Tim Kasser, a psychology professor at Knox College in Illinois, argues that when insecure people turn to materialistic values to make themselves feel better, they are stuck in an endless cycle because they seek, and will continue to seek experiences that "don't do a very good job of meeting their psychological needs." Then, materialism becomes “a nagging appetite that can never be satisfied” (Goldberg). In other words, materialism can be an addiction, when negative consequences grow. The consequences can include: increased debt, depression, loss of positive relationships, etc. It is dangerously easy to turn materialistic habits into addictions because humans often feel comfortable in their everyday, repeated lifestyles. There is a reward at the end; the paycheck, which can buy the material things that we desperately need. This “stuff” is just a short term reward that makes us feel good for a while about our miserable, limited lives since we seemingly have nothing better to strive for than to get a better paycheck to buy us more stuff to impress others.
Philosophers from every century have said it for years: a materialistic lifestyle does not open the door to happiness. Buddha delivered his wise words: “Good men, at all times, surrender in truth all attachments. The holy spend not idle words on things of desire. When pleasure or pain comes to them, the wise feel above pleasure and pain.” Years later, a profound author and spiritual teacher, Marianne Williamson, had similar thoughts: “... we are loving things that can’t love us back. We are searching for meaning in the meaningless… Material things, of themselves, mean nothing. It’s not that they’re bad, it’s that they’re nothing.” Much like Darden’s statement that relationships increase happiness, research has shown that relationships are not the only thing that make people happy. The moments that one experiences with loved ones are even more important than the relationships themselves because those experiences are what build the relationships up. Emotional well being is also important because it allows us to function in society; like meet the demands of life, adjust to change, illness, and misfortune. Having high self esteem builds self-respect, confidence, acceptance of flaws and mistakes, and personal happiness. Materialism basically ruins all of these things. The consumerist culture that we live in is constantly sending the general population of America messages that say having nice things will make us happy, and most of us believe it. When you spend more time focusing on getting those material things, you have less time for the things that research shows really matters: “family, friendship and engaging work” (Goldberg).
There is an exception though: those who live paycheck to paycheck. Those people have a greater well-being when they attain more money. According to psychologist, professor and happiness expert, Ed Diener, “money buys happiness” depends on where you are on the income scale. For those who are at the lowest end of the income scale, money does buy happiness, because it increases their overall well-being. They wouldn’t have to worry about their next meal, or if they can pay next month’s rent if they had more money. But, if you are in the middle class, the relationship between wealth and happiness becomes almost insignificant. If you are rich, you may or may not be slightly happier than those in the middle class. I can see how this statistic is accurate, knowing that when basic needs are met, money can’t buy much of anything else that will make us happy (Haidt).
The average wealth in America has greatly increased in the last fifty years, growing the average lifestyle into something more lush than any given lifestyle in the past. People now have better cars, bigger homes, more technology, etc., and they continue to aspire for even more materialistic things. Studies show that people are not much happier now than they were fifty years ago since we often take our comfortable lifestyles for granted. Robert Frank, professor of management and economics at Cornell University, states: “People who report the greatest interest in attaining money, fame, or beauty are consistently found to be less happy, and even less healthy, than those who pursue less materialistic goals.” Franks began his book, Luxury Fever, with the question of why citizens who rise with wealth of a country are no happier than they were before. He then reiterates the idea of when basic needs are met, money cannot buy happiness. After deep thought and realization, Frank concludes that money can buy happiness, if you know where to shop. He states that people would be happier if they spent their money on taking longer vacations, taking time off to spend it with their loved ones, paying a little extra for their rent if they lived closer to work, etc. Paying for the experiences that can make you happy is much more fulfilling than buying a tangible object. “So take the initiative! Choose your own gratifying activities, do them regularly (but not to the point of tedium), and raise your overall level of happiness” (Haidt). I agree with Frank’s theory about shopping smart. It is a point that needs emphasizing in our modern world, because as great as it would be to have everyone in America become minimalists or monks, it isn’t a viable option. People like their money, so they might as well put it to good use, rather than wasting it on “stuff” that means nothing. Even though Frank’s point has opposed the traditional thought that money simply cannot buy happiness, it still supports modern research. These experiences that you can buy improves the “important things” I had previously mentioned: relationships, self esteem etc. For example, buying a ten day cruise getaway for your family will allow you to spend quality time with them which will lead to building positive relationships, creating memories, and leaving you with a good overall feeling. Even after the vacation is over, happiness created from that event will continue. Your family will continue to talk about the fun that you had, look at the pictures to reminisce, tell friends about the experience, maybe even continue a newfound activity, such as windsurfing. When you go back to work, your stress levels have been reset so your productivity will go up. According to research done by the professional services firm Ernst & Young; for each additional ten hours of vacation time, employees’ year-end performance ratings improved by eight percent. Another surprising fact? Frequent vacationers were much less likely to leave the company than those who don't vacation much. On paper, this scenario sounds great, maybe even a little too good to be true. I’ll let you in on a secret: it’s not. What is even better, is the realization that this is just one out of a million possible happiness-increasing-situations that you can “buy.” Even though these situations are clearly positive experiences, it may seem like a very hard task for those who are stuck in the consumer cycle; for them it is easier said than done. They are used to buying to get that short high, instead of investing in something that will make them happy for a lot longer. But, once that new habit is learned, it will stick; unless they have some scientists poking at their brain with light waves.
The only thing more important than learning that materialistic lifestyle is a dreadful situation, is learning how to break out of the vicious cycle. Yet again, Tim Kasser appears in a research project with financial consultant, Nathan Dungan. Along with a team, the two intellectuals found seventy-one families with children who scored poorly on a series of materialism tests. These types of tests contain many different components: sensitivity (to events and other people), materialism (including questions about possessiveness), life satisfaction, and personality (including questions about reactions to other’s successes), and of course, demographics. Half of them underwent an eight week program that included: “allowance tracking, a focus on giving, and ongoing family conversations about the connection between money and values.” The program worked. By the end of the process, the children’s materialism scores went down, and their self-esteem went up. What was even better, the effects of this program lasted long term. When the team checked back in with the families eight months later, the changes had stuck. These findings lead Kasser and Dungan to write up six steps that parents can take to curb materialism in their kids: a regular allowance, family money conversations, recognize wants vs. needs, keeping score of what drives spending, finding a money mentor, and keeping the money conversation going over the years (Lieber). But these six steps aren’t only for stopping materialism in kids, they can also be useful for adults. If they aren’t exactly adult-friendly, they can be translated into adult-friendly habits: a detailed budget, money conversations with self/significant other/family, recognize wants, keeping score of what drives spending and reflecting, finding a money mentor, and keeping the conversation going with self/significant other/family. My kid-to-adult interpretation of these habits have led me to add my own seventh step, based on my own experiences. Step seven: be honest with yourself. If you mess up, admit it, accept it, and move on. Accept responsibility for your mistakes, and that will take you one step closer to becoming productive in changing your habits. Achieving a less materialistic lifestyle is possible, if you are aware of your own actions and how to work on carrying out future actions more considerably. I use these seven steps in my life to become financially stable, and in my own sense, financially free. At this point in my life, I don’t worry about not having enough money for stuff that I want, because there is not much that I want. I have curbed my own materialistic values. This has led me to becoming financially free in my own way because I only spend on necessities, and the rest of my money goes into savings for experiences, which makes me happy.
After initially flipping through the pages of Darden’s book, I put it down for a while. It sat on my bed stand for days, tempting me to read it. Finally, I picked it up, turned to the page where I left off and read the rest of the book. After about twenty minutes, I reached the last page where Darden expressed her Final Life Analysis: “We don’t have all the time in the world. Life is fleeting. Life is fragile… If we’re fortunate enough to have a period of close friendships and carefree times, enjoy every minute…” Research has been done on the downfalls of a materialistic lifestyle and it is definitely a downfall. It has proved that other things (“important things'') matter more than being obsessed over stuff. In addition, we have been provided a solution for this typical compulsive consumer lifestyle that most Americans fall into. Taking all the research into consideration, and Darden’s last life lesson, I am personally convinced that relationships and experiences are at the top of the totem pole of happiness. All the other positive things, high self esteem, lower stress levels, etc. stem from the relationships and experiences. So yes, here I am, an international business major, unsure of where life will take me financially, re-reading the final page of Darden’s book. Although I may have an unclear financial future, unlike most aspiring doctors, I know that I can still live a happy life if I simply learn the lessons I have preached.
This is a paper I wrote in 2017 for a university writing course, but I still very much believe in these concepts of minimalism. The research and science is there, it's proving that we don't need more. You won't miss the things you toss out if they don't have some sort of meaning in your life. If you would like to do your own further research on this topic, please look at the works cited below, and feel free to go down the rabbit hole of links that I have provided.
Brooks, Arthur C. "Abundance Without Attachment." New York Times, 14 Dec. 2014, p. 1(L). Science in Context
Darden, Hunter D. "Same Time... Next Year." Horse Sense & Savvy: Reflections of Life. Statesville, NC: Sunfleur Publications, 2005. 1-3. Print.
Goldberg, Carey. "Materialism Is Bad for You, Studies Say." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Feb. 2006. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.
Haidt, Jonathan. "The Pursuit of Happiness." The Happiness Hypothesis: Putting Ancient Wisdom to the Test of Modern Science. London: Heinemann, 2006. 81-107. Print.
Lieber, Ron. "Six Steps to Curb Materialism in Your Kids." The New York Times. The New York Times, 03 Feb. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.
Lumpp, Ray. "Habit Formation and the Rat Race." World of Psychology. Psych Central, 17 Jan. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.
Minimalism: A Documentary about the Important Things. Dir. Matt D'Avella. Perf. Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Catalyst, 2016. Netflix. 14 Dec. 2016. Web. 2 Apr. 2017.
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