Reality on a Stick

Think shopping makes you happy?

Well, of course it does! What self-respecting individual doesn’t find guilty pleasure in throwing caution to the wind and racing home with the latest ‘must-have’ item on her/his wish list? “Yes! Got it.” That’s right. One down, eleventy-seven billion to go–but at least you’re getting closer, right? Nah-ah. Not even a little. In fact, your paradise was lost the minute you bought the line of bullwinkle that says ‘things’–however nice they may be–will somehow deliver you from sorrow into the throes of eternal bliss.

Studies have now revealed that there is a cyclical correlation between materialism and low self-esteem.

As if you didn’t have enough problems. Even your petty escapes lead to misery.

Verdict: check yourself into the nearest monastery, convent, or loony bin and repent your love of all objects, large and small. Only then will you truly have a shot at capturing your precious–fluttering and elusive–happy place.

But seriously, read the article. It’s a real mind-opener:

“Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need.”

~From the movie Fight Club, based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk

 

Researchers have found that low self-esteem and materialism are not just a correlation, but also a causal relationship where low self esteem increases materialism, and materialism can also create low self-esteem. The also found that as self esteem increases, materialism decreases. The study primarily focused on how this relationship affects children and adolescents. Lan Nguyen Chaplin (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Deborah Roedder John (University of Minnesota) found that even a simple gesture to raise self-esteem dramatically decreased materialism, which provides a way to cope with insecurity.

[via Rawstory.com]

Steve

(Again, apologies for the slow posting. Still no internet at home. Lonely, pregnant wife waiting while I squeeze in a few minutes of online time. Things will be in order again shortly. Don’t unsubscribe over this. I’ll make it up to you, baby;-)

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