1- Choose your forum.
2- Write and post ONE authentic response
3- Read others'
4- Respond (bounce) to others' and be clear as to whom you are responding to. (you may even quote some of his or her words)
Monday, February 7, 2011
Materialism
Why do you think so many people in our society see happiness in purely material terms? (write your own resp. first, then comment/ bounce others'.)
Many people say "Money can't buy you happiness". I beg to differ. People in today's society rely on everything new that comes out, Phone's, iPod's, iPad's, Clothing, and even makeup. If we didn't have any money at all, we all would be pure miserable. I do realize that there is hobo's and bum's out there who have nothing and make it buy with absolutely nothing but they're not happy, not even one bit.
Most people today have it in their minds that they need to buy the newest and greatest thing on the market. Instead of using the money to buy things they need people spend hundreds, thousands, and even hundreds of thousands of dollars on items such as cloths, iPods, computers, jewelry, and cars. Now why is it people are so happy and so satisfied with themselves when they buy these things? The most obvious reason is recreation. Driving a new sports car or uploading music on a new iPod Touch can be a fun thing to do. One of the biggest reasons people find happiness out of objects is because it raises their status. It’s unfortunate, but people find it easier to like someone with nice things. Now the main reason a large percent of people see happiness in purely material terms is because most of them don’t know what it’s like to live without them. Back in the day people didn’t have cell phones, iPods, TVs, or other luxury items. Have you ever wondered why most of our grandparents could careless about all of the newest technology? It’s because these items didn’t exist while they were growing up. People today are happy over these things because they just simply don’t know how else to live.
@BTallarico I really support, your comment. During, Christmas my Grandparent's we're like what did you get for Christmas? I was like a new 42" inch HDTV all they said was that's cool. They really didn't care or realize how awesome it was for me to have that in my room. All, I'm trying to say is people who have relatively old grandparents or even parents they don't care about modern day technology they buy us these things because they want to make there kids and family happy. It all comes down to family and how we all should be grateful and thankful for everything we receive.
People see happiness in material possessions because hey link that to everything. People no longer see progress or success as having a family and being financially stable. To most people now a day they see success as what objects or possessions they have. People have to have the best car, or the biggest house. They have to be the best dressed out of all there colleagues and friends. Success has become less of a goal or dream in the material world but more of a competition to be better than the next person.
many people think that no matter what's going on in their lives as long as they have material things they will be happy. As long as they have the newest cars or they're rocking the latest trends most believe that it will make up for all the let downs or set backs in their lives. material items make the world go around.
Basically, if you don't have the newest pair of Uggs or the best Android phones your nothing, and you have nothing. That is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever heard, people in America are forced to have those thoughts in their head because of this modern society we live in. We see all these celebrities in Hollywood saying if you don't have what I have or wear what I wear you’re not "cool". But what is cool? Cool to me is someone that is comfortable in there own skin and happy to be them, the “losers” to me are the people who laugh or mock all the people that are "under them". America needs to shape up and see what beautiful people we have in it, instead of making our OWN people for bad for not having a lot of material objects. It’s a shame.
Many people aren't always happy with what they have, they always seem to need and want more. People today don't always look at life itself as a great thing it's always about what material items they have. There are people in this world who always needs the next big/better thing then everyone else has. That seems to make someone feel like they have power and that is what makes people so happy and satisfied. I think that people today want to live like celebrities so bad that they will do anything to somewhat make themselves feel like they are one. Buying the newest cars, electronics, clothing, jewelry, etc. is what many people live for. Just living life and being happy with what you have is something that everyone has trouble doing. It always seem to be about the next big thing.
So many people I our society see happiness in only material terms because technology is always become more advance during the years. I believe that if the things we have now where to be taken away from us society will not be able to coop with the lost. Back in the days people found happiness when being with their family spending time in the sun but now its changed to what new gadget is coming out and I want a bigger house or the car of the year. Since technology has made life easier for most people it’s made them happier not o have to work as hard if they did not have it.
Many people see happiness purely in material items because we have so much that we are able to buy in today's society. We get material items for birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays that we are so used to it. We have so much stuff we become greedy and are not thankful for the little things. When people along time ago were thankful for food on their plates or a roof over their head. There is so much out there to get and people judge everyone on what they have. So, everyone wants all the new technology, cars, and bigger houses to simply show off. People spend so much money on materialistic things they don't even realize it. Then they don't have enough money for what they really need. They are used to it and don't know how they could get through the day without it. Some people even hangout with other because they have better, nicer, more expensive things. All we ever here anymore is " I want." Everyone wants the newest things to look cool. Which is sad. People should like people because, of who they are not what they have. But, unfortunately that's what the world has come to. We rely on materialistic things because; it is what we are used to.
I agree with the statement that most people now a days rather spend large amounts of money on what they WANT rather then what we NEED. We are all selfish in one way or another it's just in our nature
People in our society believe that if you have more material things that you are going to be happy. So many people believe that money can buy happiness, that if you can buy or have anything you want your going to be happy. It seems like people look up to you if you have more money, everyone wants to be rich. With more money and more material things you also loose a lot because you wouldn't know who your true friends are because they could just be using you for your money and with more money and material things comes more responsibility. Every one thinks now that we have all this new technology that they always have to have the bigger and better thing that just came out, its like its always a competition. This is how we grew up, we grew up just getting handed all this new things and we don't know anything else...this is the way of life for us and in my opinion its just going to keep getting worse.
@K.DelVillaggio I agree with what you said about being cool. There is know exact definition. There is "cool" for every social group. If you love games cool is having the best game. If u pay sports Cool is being the best at your sport. If your someone that likes to shop then cool is someone who has the latest stuff. But like you said cool should be being comfortable in your own skin and not caring about what anyone else thinks or does and just do you.
@C.Kunsman - Your right people in this society are so greedy, nothing is good enough for them. Now we get 20 Christmas gifts. Back in my Grandfathers day he was happy with one gift, a little rinky dinky 5 dollar toy train. Now if we don't have the latest iPHONE or 456" HDTV we are not happy. Ill admit I even get like that, and its not right.
bNovak I totally agree with what you're saying. People seem to put aside the bad going on in their lives or even the lives of others if they just buy something that makes them happy. That isn't always the way to be though. I don't agree with covering up problems with material items because in the long run that doesn't make anything truly go away, it just covers it up for the time being. I'd call that just a moment of fake happiness because as soon as the next big thing comes out and maybe it's not too affordable you're cover up is no longer able to make you happy.
@M.George: I totally agree with you! People always care what others think and what the newest things that come out. No one is happy with the little things in life and aren't happy with what they already have!
@LGodfrey i agree with what you talking about people only care of becoming rich and lose the sense of life in the long run. im the saying becoming rich is a bad thing just unless you know how to handle that wealth and won't change to become a bad person. Family and friends are important in life and that should be the happiness of this society
For most the more material things you have the happier your able to be. For teenagers they say they’re happy because they have the cell phone, the xbox, they’re parent’s money. But if any one of those things were taken away your happiness would fly out the window just as fast. Everyone not just teens rely on so many other things to be happy rather then just relying on themselves, family and hobbies to keep them happy. Sure, most people have the family along with hobbies to do that make them happy, but that is hardly ever the only thing people base they’re happiness on. Reason being because technology is so advanced and new things are made all the time people become accustomed to having all these new things and rely on them so much that when they no longer can have them it’s hard to even function which then makes you unhappy. If cell phones, Xboxes, laptops, or the internet was never invented or not used as much, no one would rely on these things so much and if they weren’t there to be taken a way people would have no choice but to find happiness else where. The advancement in technology was a good thing but it also paved the way for people to become spoiled and overly dependent on it all. So now, how ever many material things a person has the happier they get, the more they loose or don’t have at all the less happy they seem to become.
@bNovak I agree to an extent that as a whole we are very obsessed with materialistic views. It is a curse that plagues our humanity. I think it's a horrible and unchangeable aspect of being human to always want and the more we get the more we want. Material items do not make the world go round!
C.Kunsman, I agree with the statement that all we hear anymore is "I want" its like its all about us and we simply don't care about anyone or anything else. If its not I want its "I need" because now people seem to think that you need to have material things to be better then another person or just because it makes them happy. We don't care how much money it is or how hard it will be to get the object all that counts is that we have it and have it as soon as possible. But as soon as we get what we want we use it for like a week or two and then we get tired of it and just let it sit around the house and by then we want something else.
I think people are materialistic because it helps them fill a void they've lost during childhood or because a lot of people are judged based upon what new piece of tech they have.
@ClarkC I agree with your statement, which is sad because I don’t believe people should be judged over the type or quality of the things they have. Not everyone can afford as nice of things as others.
@LGodfrey I agree with you I think because of all the technology people are in this never ending competition with who has the newest best things. Even though that's a competition that should never have started.
@LGodfrey I agree with what you wrote. We are definitely growing up with getting things handed to us and it is going to get worse especially with all this new technology and when we are with our friends we do hangout but, we are on our cell phones texting most of the time texting other people.
OHagerty I don't completely agree with you only because money isn't the ONLY thing we need to be happy. I know many people who don't have all the money in the world but they still seem to get by happy. I've always believed that a family and good friends are all you need to be happy.
@ C.Kunsman its like we always have to have our cell phones and if we don't we feel lost or not the same. Cell phones are our life and we cant live without them. Our cell phone is something to save us when we are bored or have nothing else to do even when we are with people or even doing something important, we stop everything to text.
My opinion on why so many people in our society see happiness in purely material terms is based on things that we want or just things that we just don’t need. For example cell phones it’s taking our society down the drain, pulling us away from our family, jobs, ect. It’s also causing us to talk more about aps instead of our day.
@ LGodfrey I completly agree with you on the money part its just like Biggie said "More money, More problems". But what I do not agree with is when you said "This is how we grew up, we grew up just getting handed all this new things . . ." alot of kids including myself work hard to ern things.
Old song ,"the more money we come upon, the more problems we see.." I challenge any one of you to find that song. A bit old school, but really says it all!
MOST POWERFUL LINES: THOSE THAT HELP TO SUMMARIZE THE ABOVE BLOG:
"True happiness is reached through hard work and ambition."
"Cool to me is someone that is comfortable in (his or her) own skin and happy to be them, the “losers” to me are the people who laugh or mock all the people that are "under them". America needs to shape up and see what beautiful people we have in it, instead of making our OWN people feel bad for not having a lot of material objects. It’s a shame."
"Fake happiness"
"Everyone not just teens rely on so many other things to be happy rather then just relying on themselves, family and hobbies to keep them happy."
“For example cell phones it’s taking our society down the drain, pulling us away from our family, jobs, ect. It’s also causing us to talk more about aps instead of our day.”
- in today's society people see happiness in material thinqs beinq that sometimes no one listens to what a person has to say. most people use electronics so much to have a conversation that they can't even converse in person but honestly people see materialistic thinqs as happiness because it doesn't make them feel alone nor iqnored like in the of mice and men story Curley's wife felt lonely because she had noone to talk to && curley always wanted her locked in the house ' alot of people feel like that no in days . that's My point of view.
Many people say "Money can't buy you happiness". I beg to differ. People in today's society rely on everything new that comes out, Phone's, iPod's, iPad's, Clothing, and even makeup. If we didn't have any money at all, we all would be pure miserable. I do realize that there is hobo's and bum's out there who have nothing and make it buy with absolutely nothing but they're not happy, not even one bit.
ReplyDeleteMost people today have it in their minds that they need to buy the newest and greatest thing on the market. Instead of using the money to buy things they need people spend hundreds, thousands, and even hundreds of thousands of dollars on items such as cloths, iPods, computers, jewelry, and cars. Now why is it people are so happy and so satisfied with themselves when they buy these things? The most obvious reason is recreation. Driving a new sports car or uploading music on a new iPod Touch can be a fun thing to do. One of the biggest reasons people find happiness out of objects is because it raises their status. It’s unfortunate, but people find it easier to like someone with nice things. Now the main reason a large percent of people see happiness in purely material terms is because most of them don’t know what it’s like to live without them. Back in the day people didn’t have cell phones, iPods, TVs, or other luxury items. Have you ever wondered why most of our grandparents could careless about all of the newest technology? It’s because these items didn’t exist while they were growing up. People today are happy over these things because they just simply don’t know how else to live.
ReplyDelete@BTallarico I really support, your comment. During, Christmas my Grandparent's we're like what did you get for Christmas? I was like a new 42" inch HDTV all they said was that's cool. They really didn't care or realize how awesome it was for me to have that in my room. All, I'm trying to say is people who have relatively old grandparents or even parents
ReplyDeletethey don't care about modern day technology they buy us these things because they want to make there kids and family happy. It all comes down to family and how we all should be grateful and thankful for everything we receive.
People see happiness in material possessions because hey link that to everything. People no longer see progress or success as having a family and being financially stable. To most people now a day they see success as what objects or possessions they have. People have to have the best car, or the biggest house. They have to be the best dressed out of all there colleagues and friends. Success has become less of a goal or dream in the material world but more of a competition to be better than the next person.
ReplyDeletemany people think that no matter what's going on in their lives as long as they have material things they will be happy. As long as they have the newest cars or they're rocking the latest trends most believe that it will make up for all the let downs or set backs in their lives. material items make the world go around.
ReplyDeleteBasically, if you don't have the newest pair of Uggs or the best Android phones your nothing, and you have nothing. That is one of the most disrespectful things I have ever heard, people in America are forced to have those thoughts in their head because of this modern society we live in. We see all these celebrities in Hollywood saying if you don't have what I have or wear what I wear you’re not "cool". But what is cool? Cool to me is someone that is comfortable in there own skin and happy to be them, the “losers” to me are the people who laugh or mock all the people that are "under them". America needs to shape up and see what beautiful people we have in it, instead of making our OWN people for bad for not having a lot of material objects. It’s a shame.
ReplyDeleteMany people aren't always happy with what they have, they always seem to need and want more. People today don't always look at life itself as a great thing it's always about what material items they have. There are people in this world who always needs the next big/better thing then everyone else has. That seems to make someone feel like they have power and that is what makes people so happy and satisfied. I think that people today want to live like celebrities so bad that they will do anything to somewhat make themselves feel like they are one. Buying the newest cars, electronics, clothing, jewelry, etc. is what many people live for. Just living life and being happy with what you have is something that everyone has trouble doing. It always seem to be about the next big thing.
ReplyDeleteSo many people I our society see happiness in only material terms because technology is always become more advance during the years. I believe that if the things we have now where to be taken away from us society will not be able to coop with the lost. Back in the days people found happiness when being with their family spending time in the sun but now its changed to what new gadget is coming out and I want a bigger house or the car of the year. Since technology has made life easier for most people it’s made them happier not o have to work as hard if they did not have it.
ReplyDeleteMany people see happiness purely in material items because we have so much that we are able to buy in today's society. We get material items for birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays that we are so used to it. We have so much stuff we become greedy and are not thankful for the little things. When people along time ago were thankful for food on their plates or a roof over their head. There is so much out there to get and people judge everyone on what they have. So, everyone wants all the new technology, cars, and bigger houses to simply show off. People spend so much money on materialistic things they don't even realize it. Then they don't have enough money for what they really need. They are used to it and don't know how they could get through the day without it. Some people even hangout with other because they have better, nicer, more expensive things. All we ever here anymore is " I want." Everyone wants the newest things to look cool. Which is sad. People should like people because, of who they are not what they have. But, unfortunately that's what the world has come to. We rely on materialistic things because; it is what we are used to.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement that most people now a days rather spend large amounts of money on what they WANT rather then what we NEED. We are all selfish in one way or another it's just in our nature
ReplyDeletePeople in our society believe that if you have more material things that you are going to be happy. So many people believe that money can buy happiness, that if you can buy or have anything you want your going to be happy. It seems like people look up to you if you have more money, everyone wants to be rich. With more money and more material things you also loose a lot because you wouldn't know who your true friends are because they could just be using you for your money and with more money and material things comes more responsibility. Every one thinks now that we have all this new technology that they always have to have the bigger and better thing that just came out, its like its always a competition. This is how we grew up, we grew up just getting handed all this new things and we don't know anything else...this is the way of life for us and in my opinion its just going to keep getting worse.
ReplyDelete@K.DelVillaggio
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about being cool. There is know exact definition. There is "cool" for every social group. If you love games cool is having the best game. If u pay sports Cool is being the best at your sport. If your someone that likes to shop then cool is someone who has the latest stuff. But like you said cool should be being comfortable in your own skin and not caring about what anyone else thinks or does and just do you.
@C.Kunsman - Your right people in this society are so greedy, nothing is good enough for them. Now we get 20 Christmas gifts. Back in my Grandfathers day he was happy with one gift, a little rinky dinky 5 dollar toy train. Now if we don't have the latest iPHONE or 456" HDTV we are not happy. Ill admit I even get like that, and its not right.
ReplyDeletebNovak I totally agree with what you're saying. People seem to put aside the bad going on in their lives or even the lives of others if they just buy something that makes them happy. That isn't always the way to be though. I don't agree with covering up problems with material items because in the long run that doesn't make anything truly go away, it just covers it up for the time being. I'd call that just a moment of fake happiness because as soon as the next big thing comes out and maybe it's not too affordable you're cover up is no longer able to make you happy.
ReplyDelete@M.George: I totally agree with you! People always care what others think and what the newest things that come out. No one is happy with the little things in life and aren't happy with what they already have!
ReplyDelete@LGodfrey
ReplyDeletei agree with what you talking about people only care of becoming rich and lose the sense of life in the long run. im the saying becoming rich is a bad thing just unless you know how to handle that wealth and won't change to become a bad person. Family and friends are important in life and that should be the happiness of this society
For most the more material things you have the happier your able to be. For teenagers they say they’re happy because they have the cell phone, the xbox, they’re parent’s money. But if any one of those things were taken away your happiness would fly out the window just as fast. Everyone not just teens rely on so many other things to be happy rather then just relying on themselves, family and hobbies to keep them happy. Sure, most people have the family along with hobbies to do that make them happy, but that is hardly ever the only thing people base they’re happiness on. Reason being because technology is so advanced and new things are made all the time people become accustomed to having all these new things and rely on them so much that when they no longer can have them it’s hard to even function which then makes you unhappy. If cell phones, Xboxes, laptops, or the internet was never invented or not used as much, no one would rely on these things so much and if they weren’t there to be taken a way people would have no choice but to find happiness else where. The advancement in technology was a good thing but it also paved the way for people to become spoiled and overly dependent on it all. So now, how ever many material things a person has the happier they get, the more they loose or don’t have at all the less happy they seem to become.
ReplyDelete@bNovak
ReplyDeleteI agree to an extent that as a whole we are very obsessed with materialistic views. It is a curse that plagues our humanity. I think it's a horrible and unchangeable aspect of being human to always want and the more we get the more we want. Material items do not make the world go round!
Because people don't have nobody in there life so they make themselves happy by the stuff they got
ReplyDeleteC.Kunsman, I agree with the statement that all we hear anymore is "I want" its like its all about us and we simply don't care about anyone or anything else. If its not I want its "I need" because now people seem to think that you need to have material things to be better then another person or just because it makes them happy. We don't care how much money it is or how hard it will be to get the object all that counts is that we have it and have it as soon as possible. But as soon as we get what we want we use it for like a week or two and then we get tired of it and just let it sit around the house and by then we want something else.
ReplyDeleteI think people are materialistic because it helps them fill a void they've lost during childhood or because a lot of people are judged based upon what new piece of tech they have.
ReplyDelete@ClarkC I agree with your statement, which is sad because I don’t believe people should be judged over the type or quality of the things they have. Not everyone can afford as nice of things as others.
ReplyDelete@LGodfrey
ReplyDeleteI agree with you I think because of all the technology people are in this never ending competition with who has the newest best things. Even though that's a competition that should never have started.
@LGodfrey I agree with what you wrote. We are definitely growing up with getting things handed to us and it is going to get worse especially with all this new technology and when we are with our friends we do hangout but, we are on our cell phones texting most of the time texting other people.
ReplyDeleteOHagerty I don't completely agree with you only because money isn't the ONLY thing we need to be happy. I know many people who don't have all the money in the world but they still seem to get by happy. I've always believed that a family and good friends are all you need to be happy.
ReplyDelete@M.George i agree with you i dont really care all about money im just happy with my family and friends
ReplyDelete@ C.Kunsman
ReplyDeleteits like we always have to have our cell phones and if we don't we feel lost or not the same. Cell phones are our life and we cant live without them. Our cell phone is something to save us when we are bored or have nothing else to do even when we are with people or even doing something important, we stop everything to text.
My opinion on why so many people in our society see happiness in purely material terms is based on things that we want or just things that we just don’t need. For example cell phones it’s taking our society down the drain, pulling us away from our family, jobs, ect. It’s also causing us to talk more about aps instead of our day.
ReplyDelete@ LGodfrey
ReplyDeleteI completly agree with you on the money part its just like Biggie said "More money, More problems". But what I do not agree with is when you said "This is how we grew up, we grew up just getting handed all this new things . . ." alot of kids including myself work hard to ern things.
Old song ,"the more money we come upon, the more problems we see.." I challenge any one of you to find that song. A bit old school, but really says it all!
ReplyDeleteMOST POWERFUL LINES: THOSE THAT HELP TO SUMMARIZE THE ABOVE BLOG:
ReplyDelete"True happiness is reached through hard work and ambition."
"Cool to me is someone that is comfortable in (his or her) own skin and happy to be them, the “losers” to me are the people who laugh or mock all the people that are "under them". America needs to shape up and see what beautiful people we have in it, instead of making our OWN people feel bad for not having a lot of material objects. It’s a shame."
"Fake happiness"
"Everyone not just teens rely on so many other things to be happy rather then just relying on themselves, family and hobbies to keep them happy."
“For example cell phones it’s taking our society down the drain, pulling us away from our family, jobs, ect. It’s also causing us to talk more about aps instead of our day.”
Mrs. Erdman are you talking about the biggie, mase and puff daddy?
ReplyDelete- in today's society people see happiness in material thinqs beinq that sometimes no one listens to what a person has to say. most people use electronics so much to have a conversation that they can't even converse in person but honestly people see materialistic thinqs as happiness because it doesn't make them feel alone nor iqnored like in the of mice and men story Curley's wife felt lonely because she had noone to talk to && curley always wanted her locked in the house ' alot of people feel like that no in days . that's My point of view.
ReplyDelete