Why are People so Obsessed With Money?

Everyone needs money to be able to buy the essentials in life. If you don't have any kind of income, you can't afford to put a roof over your head or stock up the cupboards with food. Life becomes so much more difficult when you don't have any money and you end up anxious and depressed. However, even when you can afford essential items, it doesn't necessarily make you any happier, because you always want more. When you see that your neighbour regularly goes abroad and always seems to have a new car, a feeling of envy can creep over you. Thus, whether you're rich or poor, you can find yourself obsessing about how much money you've got.

That is the problem with living in a capitalist society which can only be sustained by creating demand for the latest consumer goods. The marketing industry preys on people's competitive streak and their desire to be richer than anyone else and to have the latest gadgets and gizmos before anyone else. People with money see advertisements for high-end luxury goods and decide to buy them, as it gives them status. Everyone else can see by looking at the designer clothes they wear and the car they drive that they are not short of cash.

This desire for material goods affects everyone, though, as those with a lower income can also see advertisements for the latest technological innovations. When their friends and relatives all own a tablet computer or the latest mobile phone, they don't want to be left out. Unfortunately, this desire to 'keep up with the Joneses' can lead them to get into debt, as they use their credit cards and overdraft to fund a lifestyle they can ill afford. Not everyone lets themselves get into debt, as there are those who live within their means, even though this means missing out on expensive products.

Just because these individuals are careful with their money doesn't mean they don't want more. Anyone who is struggling from one month to the next would love to suddenly win the lottery or come into an unexpected inheritance if it meant that they would no longer have to worry about paying the bills and that they would have some money left over to treat themselves. Such an event rarely happens, but it doesn't stop people dreaming. People that are living in poverty obviously obsess about money because there is so much they cannot afford to do.

It seems particularly unfair when there are people who earn more in a day than most others earn in a year. Of course, there will always be those who defend the status quo and say that these individuals are only being paid what they're worth, but all too often this is not the case. There have been plenty of instances of poor decision-making and ineffectual leadership being rewarded. These individuals go from one high-paid job to another without any difficulty, accumulating more and more money. You would think that there would reach a point where money would no longer be of concern to them, yet they continue to build up their wealth.

It is probably due to wanting a higher standard of living and to be able to show to the rest of the world that they can afford to keep numerous houses and cars and to be able to send their children to private school. This is a rather different position to be in than those who are struggling to make ends meet. Thus, whether rich or poor, everyone ends up obsessed with money because they not only want to be able to afford essential items and services; they would also like to enjoy the high life, although this is reserved only for the few.

Are People too Obsessed with Material Things?

It certainly seems that many people are obsessed with the accumulation of material things. However, it is hardly their fault when they are conditioned by society into believing that being wealthy, owning a nice house and a big car are things to aspire to. It appears that success isn't measured in terms of the knowledge or experience you possess, but by the material things you own. When you are surrounded by people all after the same thing – to become rich and, therefore, successful – you can find yourself infected with the same ambition.

That is how the capitalist system works, though. There needs to be demand for material goods to keep the economy going. If people stopped buying things, there would be fewer people in work because there would be no need to produce luxury items, which would mean there would be more people without enough of an income to buy luxury goods, thus further shrinking the economy. It is therefore in the interests of national governments to get people spending, as if people are out of work they won't be adding to the economy in the form of taxes.

The general public is bombarded with images of the kind of lifestyle they should aspire to have and it usually involves earning a lot of money and being able to afford the most luxurious, extravagant material things. Children are taught from an early age to ask for the items they want and there is often a degree of competition between friends to have the best toys and gizmos. This carries on into adulthood, but the kind of toys change! People come to believe that computers, televisions, cars, holidays and DVD players are not luxuries, but rather necessities, because that is what they are programmed to believe.

Although this may be a rather depressing state of affairs, circumstances change and whilst everyone may like to own lots of material things, many more people are having to face up to the reality of their situation. There will always be those people who have more money than sense and who have never experienced any form of poverty, but when the economy is weak many people are finding themselves out of work and having to exist on a meagre income. A growing number of people are discovering that material things are not the be-all and end-all of life. Love, the support of family and friends, as well as good health are what really matter.

Clearly, capitalism is fuelled by the demand for material things and so there always has been and always will be a certain obsession with material things, but there are some people who are waking up to the fact that, at the end of the day, there is much more to life than how much money you earn and the items you possess. After all, you can hardly take it all with you when you're dead, anyway!

Are People too Obsessed with Their Looks?

It certainly seems that there are some people who are so obsessed with their looks that it interferes with the rest of there life. They are so preoccupied with their appearance that they are prepared to undergo surgery, even if it means getting into debt to achieve 'perfection', and do not always stop to consider the implications of their actions. They might have to take time off work and get someone to look after them, whilst there is also the potential for complications. However, those individuals who are obsessed with their looks do not seem to care about the risks.

You often see pictures of individuals who have completely transformed their appearance by having surgery. The results aren't always that great, though, despite what they tell themselves and yet there are still plenty of other people prepared to follow suit and go down the surgical route. By having surgery, you show to others that you are able to afford surgery and that you care about your appearance, even if there is an artificialness about the way you look. You may look different after surgery, but this isn't necessarily a good thing if you look as if you are in a permanent state of shock!

Not everyone is prepared to have surgery, because it is expensive, painful and may not always have the desired effects. That doesn't mean people are any less obsessed with their looks, though, since there are still those who will spend significant sums of money on cosmetics, clothing and on their general grooming regime just to stay looking good. Their actions are perhaps understandable in a society where you are judged by your looks and where if you fail to meet certain expectations you could be held back.

If you are perceived as someone who takes care of yourself and as attractive, you will probably find it easier to get ahead than someone who doesn't bother much about their appearance. Maybe it is a positive thing to take some pride in the way you look, but it is possible to take it to extremes. If you cannot leave the house without a whole face of make-up and refuse to meet up with friends just because you're having a bad hair day, you surely have to step back and consider the bigger picture. There is much more to life than the way you look, so why waste your time worrying about it?

Why Are People so Obsessed with Their Weight?

It seems that it is impossible to escape the issue of weight in our society. From an early age you hear your mother complaining about how fat she is and watch her going from diet to diet in order to shift a few pounds, not that you can ever really tell the difference! As you enter your teenage years you become more aware of your own body and how others judge you by your size, so that you start tinkering with your diet and exercising more in order to shift a bit of weight, something which usually carries on well into adulthood.

It doesn't help that the media is so preoccupied with weight. There are always news stories and documentaries examining the impact of rising obesity levels on society, so that you're under no illusion that obesity is bad. If you let yourself become overweight you are at greater risk of developing health problems that make it harder to work, leaving you unable to contribute to the health services that you will become increasingly reliant upon.

It is not only the issue of obesity that is highlighted on television and in magazines, though, since at the same time there is concern about the influence the media has on anorexia amongst adolescent girls, in particular. There is a fear that putting ultra-thin models and actresses on show in order to inspire others to admire their beauty and want to emulate their success is sending out the wrong message. There are many complex reasons why individuals develop eating disorders, but clearly this societal fixation with weight doesn't help.

Whether you're fat, thin or somewhere in the middle, it is hard to accept the size you are and learn to love the skin you're in when you're surrounded by images that are designed to encourage you to transform yourself. You are made to think about your weight, even if you're a perfectly healthy size, because you are bombarded with images of slim, attractive young things wearing fashionable clothing and you want to look the best you can.

When you watch television or flick through a magazine you notice there are plenty of slimming groups for you to join and diet products for you to buy that will supposedly help you lose a few pounds and you can quite easily get sucked into buying things you don't really need and that won't even help you manage your weight. It is not only the media that shapes your attitude towards weight, though, since friends and family also influence you. If all your friends are slim, you want to be, too; if a family member goes on a diet, you may decide to because you don't want to be left out. Clearly, there are more important issues in the world than weight, but many people find that their self-esteem is affected by their size and that their weight undermines their enjoyment of life. For these individuals, weight can become an obsession which only makes them feel more miserable.