It certainly seems that many people are obsessed with the accumulation of material things. However, it is hardly their fault when they are conditioned by society into believing that being wealthy, owning a nice house and a big car are things to aspire to. It appears that success isn't measured in terms of the knowledge or experience you possess, but by the material things you own. When you are surrounded by people all after the same thing – to become rich and, therefore, successful – you can find yourself infected with the same ambition.
That is how the capitalist system works,
though. There needs to be demand for material goods to keep the economy going. If people stopped buying things, there would be fewer people in work because there would be no need to produce luxury items, which would mean there would be more people without enough of an income to buy luxury goods, thus further shrinking the economy. It is therefore in the interests of national governments to get people spending, as if people are out of work they won't be adding to the economy in the form of taxes.The general public is bombarded with images of the kind of lifestyle they should aspire to have and it usually involves earning a lot of money and being able to afford the most luxurious, extravagant material things. Children are taught from an early age to ask for the items they want and there is often a degree of competition between friends
to have the best toys and gizmos. This carries on into adulthood, but the kind of toys change! People come to believe that computers, televisions, cars, holidays and DVD players are not luxuries, but rather necessities, because that is what they are programmed to believe.Although this may be a rather depressing state of affairs, circumstances change and whilst everyone may like to own lots of material things, many more people are having to face up to the reality of their situation. There will always be those people who have more money than sense and who have never experienced any form of poverty, but when the economy is weak many people are finding themselves out of work and having to exist on a meagre income. A growing number of people are discovering that material things are not the be-all and end-all of life. Love, the support of family and friends, as well as good health are what really matter.
Clearly, capitalism is fuelled by the demand for material things and so there always has been and always will be a certain obsession with material things, but there are some people who are waking up to the fact that, at the end of the day, there is much more to life than how much money you earn and the items you possess. After all, you can hardly take it all with you when you're dead, anyway!