Could materialistic behavior affect personal relationships How so - Essay Example

COULD MATERIALISTIC BEHAVIOR AFFECT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS Introduction Materialistic behavior is a personality trait that entails possessiveness, envy, or desire for material things and lack of generous character. Some people consider materialism as a chronic emphasis on lower requirements for satisfaction and physical safety instead of higher order needs, while others define materialist behavior as attitudes that consider material possession as a success symbol and material possession occupy the central part of a person’s life.

Materialistic people believe that increased material possession leads to increased satisfaction and happiness. This belief affects personal relationships in different ways. The paper will outline and discuss the effects of materialistic behavior on personal relationships. Discussion Materialistic behavior is an individual’s value, which shows the importance a person places on the possession and acquisition on material wealth. Materialistic people have two key characteristics, for instance, they believe material things acquisition and possession as a requirement for happiness.

They also tend to judge their success and the success of other people based on their material possession, (Dean, Carroll & Yang, 2007). Materialistic behavior has crucial implications on personal relationship and social relationships as a whole. Materialistic behavior tend have a negative connection with a person’s wellbeing and related anticipated personal results. Materialism is believed to be the main cause of deferential relationships between people in the society. The adoption of values of materialism influences the balance between public and private decisions that an individual make in his life and the relationship with individuals of different wealth status.

Some scholars assert that materialistic behavior has a negative value on relationships because it ruins interpersonal connections and is adversely linked with happiness and life satisfaction. Materialistic behavior make one social life and intimate life a turmoil and because it deprives him his happiness. For instance, one relationship with others becomes more focused on material things and one does not think of others (his family, friends, and relatives) but always spend more time thinking of material wealth acquisition and possession.

Materialistic people have a more depressed, anxious and less sociable life and this affects their relationships and connections with other people. Materialistic behavior promotes selfishness and individualistic characteristics in one’s life (Dean, Carroll & Yang, 2007). People think of material thinks accumulation as a source of happiness and always want to connect and identify with rich people. Materialistic behavior and desires promotes negative traits such as individualism, jealousy, hopelessness and materialistic people tend to forget and ignore their moral values.

Materialist people also fail to comprehend the difference between right and wrong choices, thus they may take wrong choices that may hurt the relationships with their friends. This is because what matters to materialistic people is better life quality and false satisfaction and they belief and think that life revolves around personal satisfaction and human needs can only be provided by material things. Materialistic behavior leads to materialistic decisions that make people to identify and engage with wrong groups of people to acquire material things - such as thugs, robbers, and criminals.

Similarly, emotional frustrations because of giving up and failing in projects geared towards material acquisition make people unhappy, depressed, and antisocial. Some even isolate themselves and develop some suicidal behaviors that affect their personal relationships with others. Conclusion Materialistic behaviors have substantial effects on personal relationships and thus people should shun those behaviors. As discussed, material is the main cause of unhappiness, depression and emotional frustrations and thus negatives affects people’s relationships with others in the society.

References Dean, L., Carroll, J., & Yang, C. (January 01, 2007). Materialism, Perceived Financial Problems, and Marital Satisfaction. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 35, 3, 260- 281.