By Ben Anderson
“Chase after money and security
And your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval
And you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.”
Someone recently asked me “what motivates you?” The immediate answer was my fiancée. She constantly supports me and helps me in every endeavor; I am so grateful for her. However, another answer, more insidious, crept into my mind: “Money.”
Honestly, this answer surprised me. It scared me too, and caused me to worry, “Am I really that materialistic???”
Warning, this blog post refers to The Lord of the Rings.
If you’ve read my last blog, you would see that I am DEEPLY embedded in pop culture—likely to a detrimental extent. Which, can be plainly seen, is also deeply embedded in materialist culture. Without much thought, I’ve partaken in and enjoyed every bit of materialism and consumerism that I could get a hand on. I go out to eat consistently, I love “new” things, and I spend a fair portion of my free time consuming media. I like having more. While I knew that many of these habits weren’t “good” for me, I didn’t really think there was much harm to them. “I had a long day, why not scroll reels?” “I’m pretty hungry, I should go to Chick-fil-a,” “did you see the latest episode of The Traitors?”
It evokes similar vibes to Bilbo in the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring when he goes “After all… why not? Why shouldn’t I keep [the One Ring]?”
While I’m unaware of what Tolkien intended for the ring to symbolize when he wrote The Lord of The Rings (much to the chagrin of my father, I’m sure), I argue that the One Ring is likely an accurate representation of what Materialism does to us. However, that connection will only make sense as we learn more.
Dear reader, I’ve read a book that has shifted my perspective on my unreflected materialism. This book was The High Price of Materialism. Published in 2002 by Dr. Tim Kasser, it provides strong evidence that materialism is bad for us.
First things first, what is materialism? I’ve mentioned it, but we really need to get a concrete definition before we move forward. Materialism is the value system which places money, fame, status, and the accumulation of things as one’s highest priority (Kasser, 2002, p. 1). It’s the, “Get rich or die trying,” mentality. It doesn’t always manifest in such an extreme sense, but it’s the general pursuit of material wealth and status, often at the expense of things that truly fulfill us.
From what I’ve gathered about people around me (though this isn't necessarily generalizable) people report that they don’t really feel materialistic. While it could be true that they truly don’t pursue material desires, I think many of them don’t understand that their desires are—in some way—materialistic. In following Socrates’ admonition that “the unreflected life is not worth living,” I give you my reflection on my materialistic lifestyle and the steps that I am implementing to reduce it (which I will follow up on for an Earth-Day inspired blog). Additionally, I would highly recommend you read The High Price of Materialism if you find anything that I say interesting. There is so much in this book I won’t be able to touch on, but I think it’s a necessary read if you want to be mindful of the materialist culture which surrounds us!
Sweating on the Materialistic Treadmill
Like it or not, you might find yourself stuck on the materialistic treadmill. It starts innocently, and you likely didn’t even notice it (Kasser, 2002, p. 31). Everyone likes to get what they want, right? Is it wrong for me to want that action figure? I want that cookie. I need that toy! I MUST get that promotion!!! Each of those desires, taken at face value, are benign. In fact, it’s even good to achieve our goals, as our self-esteem rises as we complete them (Kasser, 2002, p. 43). Truly, it then becomes natural to want more. However, as we can see by those who have been consumed by their desires, one goal often turns into another, which turns into a further goal, which we then take further… and on we go. We begin to run, then begin to sprint, on the materialist treadmill. On we go, running after our materialistic goals on a proverbial treadmill.
(It’s important to note, the goals that we pursue ARE NOT inherently bad)
I find myself torn here. I aspire to be successful. I am pursuing a career in law. I, like many of you, want to be “rich.” I’m working and studying hard in hopes I can obtain my materialistic desires. However, I know those desires are bad for me. Consistent research has found that “People who are highly focused on materialistic values have lower personal well-being and psychological health than those who believe that materialistic pursuits are relatively unimportant,” (Kasser, 2002, p. 22). People who are materialistic have lower subjective well-being, increased levels of stress, are prone to anxiety and depression, and are much less happy (Kasser, 2002, p. 20, 22, 28). Materialism encourages us not to pursue what’s best for us in the long-term, but to choose what will give us more money or status.
It’s important to recognize that these findings have been replicated since The High Price of Materialism came out in 2002, which is relatively dated by current standards and far behind the technological curve. Watson et al. (2015) found similar results, and found that those who have high materialist tendencies tend to feel more shame and envy—which seems to stem from the same fractured self-concept that materialism encourages.
Needs
Across the screen I can sense this question bubbling up, “While materialism seems harmful for us, there’s an undeniable reality that we need to provide for ourselves.” Unquestionably, this is true and should be kept in mind in this discussion. I don’t want to come across as tone deaf, especially in a financial time that’s squeezing us harder and harder every day. My intention is NOT to tell you that you’re stunting yourself for wanting to afford bills and groceries while having money to spare.
Materialist desires, in and of themselves, are not harmful. Instead, I pass the buck onto the corporations that inundate us, telling us we NEED more. As Nancy Shalek puts it:
“Advertising at its best is making people feel that without their product, you’re a loser.”
We are advertised to, A LOT. Researchers have postulated that we are exposed to ads around 4,000-10,000 times each day! However, we only recognize a significantly smaller amount, around 100 or so (Prodanoff, 2025). With technology developing and our exposure to screens ever-increasing, the amount of advertisements we see will only increase. And what do those ads tell us? They tell us we need MORE. Strategically, they seek to appeal to our emotions and desires (Rucker & Calkins, 2024). Advertisements tell us that we lack what we TRULY need, and they encourage us to get back onto the materialist treadmill for more.
What I want to do about it
Personally, I don’t want to get back on the treadmill. Yet, I have a career to pursue, so I MUST get back onto the treadmill…or so it appears. In reality, I do not have to get back on the treadmill. Instead, I’ve begun reframing my desires and aspirations. I will not pursue my career in law as a means to material ends. I will treat my dreams and aspirations as a privilege. I will become concerned not what my career can do for MY betterment, but for WHO I can better with the work I do. Within this framework—I hope (and will follow-up on soon)—the desire for material wealth becomes secondary to a larger purpose that I will serve. This, I hope, will insulate me from the burnout and emotional toll that material pursuits bring with them. I do not anticipate that my materialist woes will disappear, but I expect to feel more invigorated in the work that I do. There is more that I must do, though.
I love food, I take great joy and fulfillment from the simple pleasure of a well-made meal. However, I’ve had the nasty habit of relying on fast-food. Not only is the food bad for my health, but I feel especially susceptible to food advertisements.
While this goal will not take precedence over my goal of non-materialist motivation, I find this goal important to encourage me to spend my money wisely. I also recently got a cute budget binder that I made with my mom, and intend to seriously reflect on my money-spending habits.
We all have our share of materialistic desires, and not all of them are bad. At My Best Self 101, we do not advertise the life of material separation. We have desires and comforts that we should feel free to pursue. However, I ask you to reflect on your consumption, and evaluate how materialism affects your life. After all:
“The unreflected life is not worth living.”
Preview: What does this mean for the Earth?
It’s best not to mince words. Materialism is bad for the Earth. I plan to follow-up on this blog post around Earth Day to specifically dive into how materialism affects the Earth and what we can do about it. I’m going to implement a few strategies into my life and I will report back on my experience with them! However, it remains vital to say that if our culture and society doesn’t reach an imminent reckoning with its materialism, it will exacerbate current climate change issues (Kasser, 2002, p. 93; United Nations, 2024). Naturally, you may feel anxious about the climate and its dour prospects. There are resources available to help you. Last year, I wrote a blog post detailing my experience with climate anxiety, but I recently found this website that describes strategies to help reduce climate anxiety.
“I will take the Ring… though I do not know the way.”
Conclusion
Just as the One Ring tempts us with its overwhelming power, so too does materialism have a power over us. It creeps into our lives so innocuously, especially as we’re often small children who don’t know any better. Yet, little by little, materialism transforms the shape of our lives. It taints and affects our desires, it tells us to pursue MORE… Fortunately, we haven’t yet transformed the way that Sméagol did. There is and will always be hope that we can recognize the harms that materialism does for us. It is not plainly wrong or absolutely bad for us, but it is important that we remain vigilant of its effect on us. I will now depart from the Shire, and experience a journey as I carry the ring that is materialism with me. For the moment, I can rest easier knowing that my motivation, while money is a part of it, is not materialist-centered. I journey to Mount Doom, where I will hopefully cast the ring of materialism into lava. Will you join me on this journey?
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
References
Kasser, T. (2002). The High Price of Materialism. MIT Press.
United Nations (2024). World Population Prospects 2024: Summary of results. (n.d.). https://population.un.org/wpp/assets/Files/WPP2024_Summary-of-Results.pdf
Watson, D. C. (2015). Self-conscious emotions and materialism. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 35(2), 190–210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276236615587492
White, H. (2025). 7 steps to deal with climate anxiety and promote resilience. OneGreenThing. https://www.onegreenthing.org/post/7-steps-to-deal-with-climate-anxiety-and-promote-resilience