Materialism 1

The plague of our materialistic society is a direct result of mankind seeking satisfaction and happiness through the addiction to obtaining objects of our outward desires. Our society has been relentlessly exposed through the media to propaganda served by a capitalistic machine convincing us that the answer to our fulfillment and ultimate happiness can be purchased. It is a sad truth, really, but is a part of a system guided by monetary control.

There is nothing wrong with a hard days work in order to secure our livelihood or to experience the things in life we all enjoy, however, the machine has corrupted our culture. Our population spends the few hours of rest we have each day glued to televisions that introduce us to the next solution to our discontentment, to our hopelessness, to our need or validation, to patch our tattered egos, and to fill the void many of us have in our hearts.

There is a place for barter. There is also a place for chasing dreams. Then, there is a place for giving and sharing.

As a society, we are out of control. Literally, we are under the control of the machine. We feed that machine by wanting more and more, to obtain things others have or to become someone respected in our communities, rather than finding peace with who we are, what we have, and what we can share. When we don't have enough money we are given a chance to have the things we want through credit. As if money wasn't enough of a detrimental enslavement, credit is the final nail in the coffin.

This isn't to suggest that we topple the entire system, though surely many would jump at the chance to make that happen. Rather, this is a mere suggestion that our habit can be curbed. All we must do is demonstrate restraint or even simply let go of just one thing we think we must have that is being promoted. We can turn off our televisions, or, if we must watch, we can see the propaganda for what it really is… a virus that infiltrates our spiritual, intellectual, and...