Title: The High Price of Materialism
Author: Tim Kasser
Paperback: 165 pages
Publisher: The MIT Press (October 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 026261197X
This short book covers numerous quantitative and qualitative studies that reveal specific characteristics of personalities driven by materialistic and consumerist desires. On variables ranging from personal relationships, self-worth and aspiration, social productivity, parenting, etc. the results are consistently clear: persons driven by external, materialist ends are less happy and more destructive to our web of relationships and our social structures. The book concludes with a few constructive ideas for how to reverse the damage of materialism in order to re-construct a value base that is more conducive to self worth and a better social environment overall.
But even in light of this it is clear from the book that changing the pattern of self-indulgent consumerism in order to pursue a more stable and fructuous value base for ourselves and our society, it takes a lot of energy to go upstream against the myriad of media, government, and social incentives that our liberal consumerist societies reinforce. Altruism is not reinforced as much as self-gratification and there are systemic problems that erect barriers to performing, in biblical language, love of neighbor and self much less God, that need to be change from the inside out.
This is an eye-opening and short volume that deserves attention. Of the many titles that reflect consumerism and its psychological affects, this is the most concise and clearly articulated.
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