Nassir H. Sabah
What is wrong with the prevailing culture of today is materialism fueled by greed and individualism as a self-centered and self-serving existence.
Materialism is the relentless pursuit of money, an extravagant lifestyle, and material possessions that one can flaunt, such as luxurious housing, expensive cars, and fancy clothing and accessories. The focus on materialism distorts values and blinds one’s worldview, making one oblivious to the ultimate purpose and meaning of our existence. It induces unethical or immoral behavior in the unscrupulous drive to achieve the materialistic goals that one has set.
A manifestation of materialism is consumerism, whereby one’s efforts are directed towards making money to spend on things that one does not really need, and which will be disposed of only too hastily. It is deplorable to consider consumption per capita as a measure of economic progress of countries, as is often done. It is indeed ironic and even hypocritical to lament the tragic degradation of our environment and to adopt measures and allocate resources to counter it, while disregarding avaricious consumerism as a root cause of this degradation.
Materialism has dominated present-day science as reductionism that seeks to explain everything in terms of the properties of material entities – constituents and assemblies of atoms, molecules, biological cells – and their interactions. Reductionism has so far failed to unravel some deep mysteries such as the nature of consciousness and the nature of life.
Given that human beings are born with different abilities and potentialities and encounter different circumstances and opportunities, the striving for material possessions as a measure of one’s success and worthiness, is bound to breed envy and foment economic and social inequalities.
Envy is the ulcer of the soul, according to Socrates. Envy arouses feelings of malice towards those envied, wishing them harm; it also makes the envier feel inadequate thereby causing self-depreciation, anger, depression, and a negative, hostile attitude.
The ills of materialism are compounded by craving and greed. To crave material possessions is to become enslaved by this craving. Craving is incessant, fueled by greed, so it’s never satisfied, becoming a source of endless anguish. What is craved cannot be really enjoyed, because no matter how much is attained, one is desperate for more. Craving and greed are often manifestations of an underlying sense of emptiness and loss of the true purpose and meaning of life, so the pursuit of material possessions becomes a futile attempt to escape the inner void.
Materialism is reinforced by excessive individualism, as the striving to possess is inherently self-centered and self-serving. Excessive individualism is a scourge that has broken family ties and social bonds, obliterating our responsibilities to the welfare of the larger human community.
Evidently, materialism is detrimental to our psychological and physical well-being. It is ironic, as pointed out by the Dalai Lama, that people sacrifice their health in order to make money, then sacrifice money to recuperate their health. What a wasteful and futile endeavor! Deep down, materialism demeans our humanness and diverts us from seeking the real purpose and meaning of life.
An effective antidote to materialism is some form of spirituality, particularly one that offers a rational, comprehensive, and satisfying answer to the human predicament, engenders virtuous conduct towards all, and enables experiencing the true joy of living, in cognizance of what is really important in life and what is vain, superficial, and illusory. One would not regret the past, grieve over the present, or fear the future.
