Loving material things vs being Materialistic!!
Recently I had this argument with one of my colleague, who said that I tended to sound materialistic.!!..I was shocked...coz..anyone who knew me well enough would definitely deny that I was materialistic.....then I asked my colleague of what my colleague's definition of a 'materialistic' person was. My colleague then said that, I once mentioned that I dream to own a porsche one day...visit venice......etc.....I was excited when I bought a new phone...when I got my new laptop....n I get super excited about small things such as a good dish...a good movie etc etc.......all these, as per my colleague, made me materialistic...!!!.....
Thank god!!..I thought!!....coz, then I knew that I just loved material things and was not 'materialistic' as the term is used widely.... Being materialistic in my opinion, is when one gives more value to the material/immaterial things than human relationships...
show me one person who doesnt love material or immaterial 'things'......everybody wants something.....be it knowledge, material comforts, money, etc etc....everyone has their own 'things' that make them happy....... someone may be happy with a new gadget...and someone may be happy just by seeing their fav actor on tv. ....etc...but that doesnt make them materialistic.
In the path to gaining material/immaterial things, if you neglect your family, if you crave for luxury when the basic needs are not met, when you adopt wrong ways to gain them, when you get obsessed by them and look down upon those who do not possess these ( there are many 'knowledgable' people who do not have respect towards people who are not 'smart' enough, as per them) ....., when you think of buying a sports car when you can help your friend out of a financial crisis, when all you want in life is to have more and more money, with no regard to anyone's emotions........that is when I say ...you are materialistic.....
I dream to own a porsche someday, visit venice some day, setup a venture and grow it big, help my mom in building a dream house, .....and many more....these things inspire me to work harder.....For me, these are like the goal post in a football match, if you do not have a goal post, where will you direct the ball?....
Thank god!!..I thought!!....coz, then I knew that I just loved material things and was not 'materialistic' as the term is used widely.... Being materialistic in my opinion, is when one gives more value to the material/immaterial things than human relationships...
show me one person who doesnt love material or immaterial 'things'......everybody wants something.....be it knowledge, material comforts, money, etc etc....everyone has their own 'things' that make them happy....... someone may be happy with a new gadget...and someone may be happy just by seeing their fav actor on tv. ....etc...but that doesnt make them materialistic.
In the path to gaining material/immaterial things, if you neglect your family, if you crave for luxury when the basic needs are not met, when you adopt wrong ways to gain them, when you get obsessed by them and look down upon those who do not possess these ( there are many 'knowledgable' people who do not have respect towards people who are not 'smart' enough, as per them) ....., when you think of buying a sports car when you can help your friend out of a financial crisis, when all you want in life is to have more and more money, with no regard to anyone's emotions........that is when I say ...you are materialistic.....
I dream to own a porsche someday, visit venice some day, setup a venture and grow it big, help my mom in building a dream house, .....and many more....these things inspire me to work harder.....For me, these are like the goal post in a football match, if you do not have a goal post, where will you direct the ball?....
I am just working hard to fulfill my dream and of my loved ones...making sure that I do not run over anyone's emotions, today or in the future!!!....
After such a long argument, what could my colleague say?....Just say , Ok , so you are not materialistic...but you just love material things....hehehehe!!!!...
So ......which one are you??...think about it!!!
Comments
Its true that you derive motivation and happiness from those materials, good work hard for it.. but..Believe me, you wont find happiness inside those materials. Happiness is always with in you and us, doest matter if you have all the above laundry list or not...
Let's cut the crap, tell me one thing what do you do after you visit venice, and buying porsche car, dream house....DIE??? ....then Fortune 500 list would have been dead by now!! (Human Psych deals with this 1) Need-Want 2)Try 3) Satisfy ....1)Need-Want 2) Try 3)Staisfy...cycle goes on... (Practically its like your need can be met by small car or big car ..its your want will make you material, i mean you can go by a car (need) porsche (material! crap)
Try hard to get things, thats good. But never say thats life. life many of us accept that it stretches far far beyond our dreams....
Last thing..i am a big dreamers...my philosophy is DREAM BIG (No cost to it). Dream like owning a Prosche Company, Owning Virgin Beach Island....then you dont feel sorry even if you own small fleet of 10 porshes??? who knows?
By the way Good to know "Your version of Materialism" i still cant able to figure what is basic need? (A car or A porsche)
Pradeep
but yeah...the day you own Porsche company, dont forget me ha!..I would love to try out all of them!!!....:)..
Yeah, people are different in their expectations. That's why there are Normal group and Materialistic group.
I will try to define a theory to fit for india. Take a 1-10 Scale
1 is like Naga Santh (In himalayas, dont wear shirt while sleeping on ice)
10 is like Porsche car for Hyderabad trafic (Car can go up to 300 Kmph but the poor cycle chap before you can't)
I would like to call those guys and gals with 5 to 6 score as normal ....anything above 8 is materialistic.
(I am trying to put numerical values for relative things)
Where do you stand ? Still on 10 (Porsche,) ....
God save us!!
....and I aint the '1' category too..!!....let me achieve them first, and then I will think of letting them go!! to become a sadhu santh......hehehe!!!...
When ever you talk change the phrases to like
Car but not a "Porsche"
Holiday but not "venice holiday"
Home but not "Big house"
Anyway, i hope you know how to manage expectation based on strengths. Good .Great going.
Send us sweets whenever your dreams(unlimited) come true.
Bye for this blog.