Materialism

It amazes me how materialistic people can be. Everything in this country is about getting the bigger, better, faster, more powerful, newer whatever. Does this really make people happy? Actually, I know it does for some people, and that, to me, is rather interesting. I mean I have a decent car, a decent home that I own and even a nice TV. I consider myself pretty well off, but I don't really get pleasure in buying things or upgrading. Even with the TV that I bought a few months ago, I second-guessed afterwards whether I really wanted to keep it. I mean, I know that I don't need it. For how little I watch TV, it is excessive. But my open living room necessitates a large TV. But I'll admit that my place is too big for me, too. So excessiveness begets excessiveness. I really think that's what happens to a lot of people. I bought this place as an investment/nicer place to live than an apartment. I have an extra bedroom that I use only because my computer is in there. That could easily be in my living room. I bought couches because I suppose that's something you have to have, but I don't use them very often. I have a bar so I bought bar stools that I never use. What else am I going to do with a bar if I don't get stools for it? I bought a dining table that I never use. Again, what am I going to do with all that space if I don't buy a table for it? I have an extra bathroom that is completely unnecessary for me besides convenience. Only on a few occasions have I had guests that used the tub in there.

That's what I see in my life. What I see in others makes me shake my head. I know it's nice to spoil yourself every now and then, and I can certainly understand if there really is a benefit to the excessiveness. But how often do we convince ourselves that "it's worth it"? Is it really? I think a lot of people aren't true to themselves when they ask these questions. At what point does it just become a symbol of your social status? Do you really need that eight-passenger SUV? How about that 400 horsepower car? Wouldn't something that gets, say, more than 20 mpg make a little more sense? But no, this is not a country of sense. This is a country of flashiness, of having the best, of making your neighbor green with envy. I still don't know what happiness is, but I know that it's not found in big houses or fancy cars ... at least not for me.