Our generation’s obsession with materialism is so vast it that will have horrific after-effects on many future generations to come. We have given value to objects that don’t have any true importance and are more worried about the things we should have rather than what we need to do to get them.

Materialism doesn’t solicit hard work, it solicits short cuts.

There is nothing wrong with the desire to live a life of luxury and have an extravagant lifestyle. The problem comes in when there are those that want those things but are too lazy to put in the hard work to actually get them. What many don’t understand in our current world is that to live a lifestyle full of fast cars and big houses, you must work harder than you could have ever imagined.

Money doesn’t grow on trees and there is no reason for you to think you are smart enough to get more of it by constructing a grand plan that must work. Money is only an extra perk to success, not the primary goal. When people set out to follow their dreams and work hard they don’t ever do it for the money.

They aren’t constantly thinking what stupid things they are going to spend their fortune on. They use their passion to create a job they love, a legacy to be remembered and most important, a valuable impact on other people’s lives.

Materialism promotes lust, selfishness, jealousy, sense of hopelessness, etc. Materialism forces people to exchange morality and ethics for comfort and ignorance. They think that everything around them is dictated by the need of humans and is being provided by their environment.

Our world has become a brutal one where we have all become savages chasing money and respect. Women go out to find rich men so that they can one day marry a wealthy man to buy them the possessions they long for. Women are one of the biggest reasons why materialism is so powerful in our modern day world.

They are the ones that set the precedent by declaring their preference of rich men. The most expensive sex out there is free sex.

Men are no better. Materialism has caused many men to risk it all just for money and a life of luxury. The worst part about it is that they go about trying to attain this money by looking for short cuts around hard work and sacrifice. They no longer want to put in the time needed to have all of the things they aspire to have.

Materialism was supposed to be a good thing. It was supposed to motivate us to improve our world. Instead it has done the opposite and place all the importance on rewards instead of the impact the effort required to get it had on other people.

Instead of worrying about our own legacy and what we want to achieve in our lifetime, we compete with others for objects rather than actual importance in the lives of others.

That has left our world in a very sad place and has brought upon a lot of room for impostors  There is no sense of fulfillment when it comes to materialism. Materialism doesn’t cause people to become grateful for what we have because it focuses on what we don’t have and how much our life sucks because we don’t have something.

Materialistic people tend to be dissatisfied with their environment, have low self-esteem, become distant from their community, find less meaning in life, and have a lack of concern regarding the welfare of those close to them.

The list goes on and on: Materialistic people are also less satisfied with their family lives, the amount of fun they have using the things they were so obsessed with attaining, and they are more likely to be depressed and envious.

It is safe to say that materialism will leave a stain on our generation. Rather than being concerned with the important things in life and what type of positive change we will bring to this world we are worried about having those new pair of shoes, going to the newest club and being in the “in” crowd.

Most of the people that are materialistic are posers. They are the ones that don’t have much to offer those in need but want to be accepted by society so they make it seem like they have it all.

Life is not about what you have, but the experience of trying to have a valuable impact on society and the lives you touch along the way. That is what we consider “rich” and you should too.

Preston Waters | Elite.