Materialism And Its Effects On The United States - 1559 Words

WP 1 Materialism, although commonly seen as a harmful characteristic, has the potential to be a beneficial one. The desire for a vast number of possessions has often been tied to the wealthy; however, both wealthy and poor alike have materialistic tendencies and thus, everyone has the potential to live unsustainably. Being materialistic is not what classifies a person as sustainable or unsustainable, it is what that person pursues with their tendencies that does so. If someone wanted to purchase a new vehicle, it would be unsustainable for them to purchase a Bentley or a G-Wagen while there are alternative, energy saving models like a Tesla or Prius. The trend that s beginning to take hold in the United States is that the more material things that are owned, the more successful one will be perceived as. This influx in material objects is not only the wrong way to measure success, but it is also the opposite of living sustainably. Although it is the rich who are often targeted for living u nsustainably, the poor also have an equal part to blame in the matter. Today, living extravagant and expensive lives is a goal sought by many, and the only way to change that goal is to redefine the definition of success into something more meaningful. Living sustainably does not mean having to remove all materialism from life, it simply means making small changes in day to day life that encourage less wasteful tendencies. Both for the rich and the poor, materialism is the driving forceShow MoreRelatedMaterialism And Its Effects On The United States1249 Words   |  5 PagesMaterialism, although commonly seen as a harmful characteristic, has the potential to be a beneficial one. The desire for a vast number of possessions has often been tied with the wealthy; however, both wealthy and poor alike have materialistic tendencies and thus, everyone has the potential to live unsustainably. Being materialistic is not what classifies a person as sustainable or unsustainable, it is what tha t person pursues with their tendencies that does so. If someone wanted to purchase a newRead MoreA Relationship Between Physical Properties And Mental Properties1399 Words   |  6 Pagesbeliefs, are all one entity. Materialisms, the most popular form of monism, claims that everything mental is also physical. On the other end of the spectrum, Dualists believe that physical and mental properties are two separate entities. This paper will address the merits of interactionist substance dualism (interactionism) and epiphenomenalist property dualism (epiphenomenalism) as well as functionalism which is a type of materialism. The debate between dualism and materialism has retained its relevanceRead MoreImplicit Of Implicit : Implicit Cognition And The Development Of Thought, Emotion And Behavior1676 Words   |  7 Pagesrelated to neuroticism and extraversion. Also, Rudolph, Abe, Riketta, and Schutz (2010) presented evidence that implicit self-esteem predicts spontaneous behavior. In addition, evidence that implicit self-attitudes predicts an individual’s emotional state was presented by Conner and Barrett (2005). Furthermore , evidence that an individual’s implicit goal relevant cognitions predict their success rate was presented by Critcher and Ferguson (2016). . Further still, Rudman, Dohn, and Fairchild (2007)Read MoreConsumerism Of The United States1411 Words   |  6 Pagesline from the new designer that everyone hypes about? Consumerism is something that flues the fire, also known as the 21th century disease of materialism. Although an alarming issue everywhere today, I belie ve none is more precedent that of the United States, a society in its own right whose consumerism is as staggering as it is worrying. Why the United States? Because it is a symbol of the Western society, the consumerism capital. Further this is in conjunction with the generation of today, us theRead MoreMaterialism in Society1161 Words   |  5 Pagesemergencies. However, people have become negatively addicted to cell phones and are abusing them. The cell phone has taken impact and has attracted those who are younger and materialistic. People use cell phones to achieve social status. With the effect of addiction and social status appeals, the cell phone also impacts the economy. Because Americans are becoming so materialistic, they view cell phones as a need rather than a want. This is a result of economic deficiency. Cell phones are becomingRead MoreConsumerism : The Trap Of Materialism1704 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Trap of Materialism† Out of all of the different causes that people live for today, consumerism is the only one spread completely around the globe and into almost every culture. Throughout the thousands of years that humans have been on this planet the universal idea of success has been altered greatly. Today, the most common vision of a successful life is the ability to consume the greatest amount of stuff by obtaining the most amount of money possible. If you are unable to afford a houseRead MoreThe Bankruptcy Of Marxist Ideology : The Dilution And Variability Essay1720 Words   |  7 Pageshalf of the 20th century. The fall of communism in the late 1980s reveals the bankruptcy of communism as a state ideology in the U.S.S.R., since the Unite States and other first world nations triumphed as a global capitalist ideology. More so, the dilution of Marxism also occurs in the increasingly cultural and social abstractions of Marxist ideology that stray from the objective â€Å"materialism† of t raditional Marxist analysis, which shows a moderate rationalization for capioti8alism in the Neo-MarxistRead Moredevelopment studies1392 Words   |  6 PagesHUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES. Name: Computer No. : Course: DEV 2150 Tutor; Task: Present and discuss the various theories that are used to account for social and political change in developing countries. State by giving reasons, the theory you think is most suitable to understanding social and political change in developing countries. Developing countries have encountered perpetual shifts in cultural values and behavioural patternsRead MoreThe Socialization And Dilution Of Marxist Theory Essay1701 Words   |  7 Pagesleftists movements in the economic booms of the 1970s and 1980s: An analysis, for instance, of how the conservative regimes of Margaret Thatcher in England and Ronald Reagan in the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s won power would dissect how conservative groups gained dominance through control of the state, and the use of media, new technologies, and cultural institutions such as think tanks and fund-raising and political action groups (Kellner, 2005, p.6). In this theory, Gramsci definedRead MoreMaterialism Is The Love For Tangible Things1013 Words   |  5 PagesMaterialism is the love for tangible things. Greed goes hand in hand with materialism because it refers to the want of having these tangible things, in abundance. We see today in our society that materialism and greed is at the forefront of most crimes. It is also often considered as the root to all evil. Even our businesses thrive on the materialistic consumer. Capitalism itself is built on exploiting people’s desire to buy things that they might not particularly need. In addition, these businesses