The Slavery of Materialism

[Unkotare]

I find it disheartening to see so many young people who are nowhere near what would be considered "well off" so blatantly attempting to define their self worth through material goods. Usually it's gold jewelry, technology, or ridiculously overpriced footwear of some sort, but today I saw a kid who was proudly displaying the sales tags he left on the $200 jeans he was wearing. It looked absolutely ridiculous (and I mocked him for it), but he didn't seem to care. He needed everyone to know how much his pants cost. Absurd and disappointing. Self-imposed slavery is the worst kind, because no war or constitutional amendment can end it if the slave embraces it.

 

[Votto]

I find it disheartening to see so many young people who are nowhere near what would be considered "well off" so blatantly attempting to define their self worth through material goods. Usually it's gold jewelry, technology, or ridiculously overpriced footwear of some sort, but today I saw a kid who was proudly displaying the sales tags he left on the $200 jeans he was wearing. It looked absolutely ridiculous (and I mocked him for it), but he didn't seem to care. He needed everyone to know how much his pants cost. Absurd and disappointing. Self-imposed slavery is the worst kind, because no war or constitutional amendment can end it if the slave embraces it.

Marxism is a materialistic philosophy that reduces human worth to how much is in their bank account.

And it is being pushed by the Left world-wide.

 

[Blaster]

Material goods can't buy happiness.

 

[Anomalism]

They're filling a hole. They're all depressed for some reason. Young people are fucked up.

 

[whitehall]

As long as it wasn't looted from some store it's fine with me.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Marxism is a materialistic philosophy that reduces human worth to how much is in their bank account.

And it is being pushed by the Left world-wide.

What a mind numbingly stupid post. This is not about marxism, not that you know what marxism is, anyway.

 

[Unkotare]

They're filling a hole. They're all depressed for some reason. Young people are fucked up.

And old people aren’t?

 

[Anomalism]

And old people aren’t?

Less than young people it seems like. It's really bad. They seem to be completely consumed by the technology in particular.

 

[Anomalism]

Marxism is a materialistic philosophy that reduces human worth to how much is in their bank account.

And it is being pushed by the Left world-wide.

Really?

I thought in Marxism people didn't really own their own material goods, and that money is regulated.

 

[Unkotare]

Less than young people it seems like. .....

Seems about even to me.

 

[Anomalism]

Seems about even to me.

Maybe.

I'm pretty sure the science backs me up on this one though. I think it's because young people are growing up with a level of disconnect that's even greater than their parents. You've got 8 year olds glued to phones and tablets. Kids barely want to go outside anymore.

My parents forced me to go outside and develop my social skills. Thank God for that.

 

[Unkotare]

Maybe.

I'm pretty sure the science backs me up on this one though. I think it's because young people are growing up with a level of disconnect that's even greater than their parents. You've got 8 year olds glued to phones and tablets. Kids barely want to go outside anymore.

My parents forced me to go outside and develop my social skills. Thank God for that.

Every generation insists the one that comes after it is completely fucked up. Which means...

 

[TNHarley]

They're filling a hole. They're all depressed for some reason. Young people are fucked up.

social media probably has a lot to do with that

 

[Anomalism]

Every generation insists the one that comes after it is completely fucked up. Which means...

The nature of the dysfunctions change I think. The Romans weren't worried about their kids never wanting to go outside.

Everybody suffers and has pain in life. I just think it's getting really strange right now and I'm not even an old person.

 

[Anomalism]

social media probably has a lot to do with that

It's the physical disconnect in general. People are living life through pixilation instead of getting out there and touching, feeling, breathing real life.

A lot of young people are very socially stunted right now. Surely the OP has noticed this as a teacher. Levels of academic ignorance are getting alarming as well.

 

[Darkwind]

It may be a self-correcting problem.

Darwin is always lurking...

 

[task0778]

I find it disheartening to see so many young people who are nowhere near what would be considered "well off" so blatantly attempting to define their self worth through material goods. Usually it's gold jewelry, technology, or ridiculously overpriced footwear of some sort, but today I saw a kid who was proudly displaying the sales tags he left on the $200 jeans he was wearing. It looked absolutely ridiculous (and I mocked him for it), but he didn't seem to care. He needed everyone to know how much his pants cost. Absurd and disappointing. Self-imposed slavery is the worst kind, because no war or constitutional amendment can end it if the slave embraces it.

It's kinda drilled into a lot of kids by their parents and family members that wealth = success and success defines self-worth. Many times we've heard about someone in the family being a good for nothing failure, mostly in the context of a lack of money or job. A good parent wants his/her kids to have a better life than they did, and for many of them that means greater wealth. And I don't remember much discussion about any other way to define one's self-worth.

 

[Crepitus]

I find it disheartening to see so many young people who are nowhere near what would be considered "well off" so blatantly attempting to define their self worth through material goods. Usually it's gold jewelry, technology, or ridiculously overpriced footwear of some sort, but today I saw a kid who was proudly displaying the sales tags he left on the $200 jeans he was wearing. It looked absolutely ridiculous (and I mocked him for it), but he didn't seem to care. He needed everyone to know how much his pants cost. Absurd and disappointing. Self-imposed slavery is the worst kind, because no war or constitutional amendment can end it if the slave embraces it.

It's a real point.

Do you own your stuff, or does it own you?

 

[Crepitus]

Marxism is a materialistic philosophy that reduces human worth to how much is in their bank account.

And it is being pushed by the Left world-wide.

I believe you've missed the point.

 

[Crepitus]

And old people aren’t?

I'm not.

Are you?