By: MOLLY RIDENOUR
Staff Writer
Envision a life where you are happy, nothing is getting in your way. There are no underlying factors. That isn’t, and will never be the case. There is always someone or something out to get you. Through our materialism unit, we explore articles and texts written by various authors. Some of which are Maupassant, Tamara Simic, and Andre VLtchek. As we dive deeper into different viewpoints and opinions on money and materialism; we see examples of different people from clashing lifestyles. Money and material things cannot buy us happiness. It can give a sense of false happiness, clouding our judgment. We don’t need money or tangible things, but we want them. Never being able to find a good middle ground between wants and needs.
Material items come and go in your life, they help occupy your time and make you happy for the time being. Once they don’t make you happy anymore, you search for the next best thing to satisfy that need. Revolving your life around material things, giving you false happiness, only because it appeals to our emotions, “Some of our buying choices seem to be based purely on emotions” (Pearson 2). This is thought-provoking because some people try to make decisions based on logic, but it ends up being based on our emotions. We can’t stop our natural desire to get what we want, buying things that appeal to us can give us a sense of false happiness. Until it’s gone, then we need to find something to fill it again. It’s an exhausting cycle that only ruins us in the end. As well as that, our lives revolve around money, wanting more, needing more, but at the end of the day, we don’t need it, “”Giving up money gave me a quality of life, inner wealth and freedom,” she says” (Independent). Schwermer is a prime example that you don’t need money and material items to be happy. She’s happy with not knowing what’s going to happen next and having the anticipation of every new day. It’s false, money and material items create false happiness. Wanting more and more, nothing being enough, that isn’t a happy life. In order to be happy, you have to be content with yourself and what you have.
Surround yourself with things you love, and then do the same thing with things that make you sad, or things that don’t make you feel good about yourself. What do you prefer to be around? The things that make you happy or be in a constant state of searching for something more? At first, it’s just a few small objects to feel better, but then the ball starts rolling and it becomes more and more, nothing feels good enough, “But I’m offered a wide selection of objects. Each resembling that which I desperately seek. I consume, yet I’m the one who’s consumed” (Simic 18-23). Trying to find your happiness in things and losing yourself in it only makes you feel consumed. It doesn’t ever make you feel whole. As if you’re being consumed by something you ultimately have no control over. Impulses to want more take control over true happiness. On top of this, there are so many questions left unanswered. Can possessions give you a sense of self-worth or can they tear you down even further? That’s the million-dollar question waiting to be answered, “Investing too much of the self in collections and other possessions may displace love from people to things. Regarding other people as parts of our self can lead to jealousy and excessive possessiveness” (Belk 17). The author wants the reader to understand that possessions can have a negative effect on us, but that’s not the whole story. It’s a double-edged sword. Also mentioned in this article, possessions gave some a sense of self-worth and brought them up. Smothering yourself with things that make you happy will have a negative effect on you. While surrounding yourself with positive things, possessions that make you happy, for example, family heirlooms. That can make you happy and give you a sense of your identity. It’s all about who and what you surround yourself with. As humans we are never happy with “good enough”, we want more, we want to be better than everyone else. We want to look as if we’re put together, and we live a picture-perfect life. Damaging ourselves further instead of aiding ourselves.
There are different situations where money can be beneficial. In La Rinconada they are nothing, they spend their lives searching for maybe a chance of striking it rich. Their chances are slim if nothing. Growing up in a place where you have nothing, no money, property, or even clothes to your name, you have to be willing to do anything to be happy, “Tens of thousands of anxious men are ‘going up’, reaching tremendous heights, risking their lives and ruining their health, for at least a tiny chance to find gold, and escape the endemic misery” (VItchek 7). In certain cases, like people from La Rinconada, would benefit from the money, giving them a good life. Would it make them truly happy? After looking for it for so long? Yes, I think it would. In these situations, they know what it’s like to truly struggle and work hard, money would only be helping them and making their life easier. The money would pull them out of this horrible situation they’re in and give them a better life. They would know how hard it is to be at rock bottom and never take money for granted. Unlike some people here, in America, who have so many more opportunities. Those on the other side of the issue might say the same, that if people from La Rinconada were to strike it rich, they’d be just like them. Which isn’t the case. It’s circumstantial, all based on where you came from, how you grew up, and the type of person you are.
Through this essay, there are many examples that money doesn’t buy happiness. It creates a sense of false happiness; we mistakenly believe as true happiness. We can find happiness in the people around us. The main takeaway from this is to learn that there is so much more to your life. Finding your limits between wants and needs, finding that balance will help you live a healthier lifestyle. You’ll feel better every day. There are two certainties in life, being born and dying. Before you get to that part, make sure you have lived. That you’ve done everything you’ve always wanted to do. Don’t live your life based on others’ opinions and what everyone else will think of you. Your opinion is the only one that matters. This essay isn’t to tell you to be the ultimate minimalist, it’s just trying to give you insight. Dig deeper into your life, what makes you happy? What doesn’t? It’s up to you to figure it out. Money and material possessions aren’t always going to be there for you. Be content with what you have and who you are. Then you’ll be happy, the rest will fall into place.