Is having a lot of material goods a help or hindrance to happiness? Why are some people able to be happy with little, while others with more are miserable?
In order to be happy, most often people find true happiness in relationships with other friends and other people. Most of the time, this has to do with the meaning behind how you live and what you appreciate in life. Scientific proof would be Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. He created a pyramid of needs that humans need to survive, kind of like a food pyramid to the most basic intent. He states that after physiological and safety needs that social needs are what humans need to survive. It is very important to have this in your life and if we don’t have this need, we can become miserable, and often try to fill that gap with other things, specifically material goods.
When living with a bundle of material goods, you often times only have those material goods, and not an extensive amount of friends or companions. Having many possessions beyond what you need often times makes you greedy, and you start wanting more possessions, and more, and more, and so on. Greed interferes with forming honest relationships, and doesn’t help you acquire personal traits, which helps people want to be around you. You try to find happiness in material things, and most or all of the time you end up unsatisfied and not finding happiness. They spend extensive amounts of time trying to acquire these things and do not realize what they go through to get these things. Often times the journey or events to get said thing have moralistic values, which they are too greedy to consider, they just care about the end product and/or prize. Greed blinds them from what should really make them happy, which is relationships and acceptance.
People who don’t have many material objects seem more happy and optimistic, which might seem strange to the “material man.” The “non-material man” doesn’t have many possessions, and often times he must work harder for them. Because they work hard, and discipline themselves to be focused on getting the basic necessities, let alone fancy goods, they appreciate it more. The harder you work for something, the more you appreciate it. If you are given food right away, then you don’t really care that much about it and fork it down your gullet. If you have to walk 5 miles for food, then you savor it, and it seems like the best food you ever had, even if it was dog food. They put people, relationships, and moralistic values before the end product and/or prize, which is what makes them happy.
But what makes people happy? Well, different things make different people happy. Most of the time if someone has everything in the world, most likely they don’t have is friendships, or people to talk to about what they are interested in. What people want most in the world (which is explained very well by William James) is acceptance and companionship. There are exceptions to this theory (as of any theory), but almost all of the time this is the truth. Sometimes material goods and wealth provide a sense of security, where you don’t have to worry about not being able to afford the basic necessities, but this is mostly outweighed by the pursuit of other material goods.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The Social Me (QUESTION THREE)
Why is it difficult not to care about what others think of you? Do we control the way other people see and think about us?
Why is it difficult not to care about what others think of you? Do we control the way other people see And think about us?
People care about what others think, It is extremely hard to hold one’s image nowadays, but it is still important for almost all people to be recognized and whatever they are or are not categorized. Humans are naturally social, and want to talk to other beings, discuss things with them, and feel comfortable with others. That being said, there are people who don’t really care what others think of them, but they do need attention to an extent. Everyone needs attention; it’s just the degree of attention that differs from person to person. Some people feel that they need attention 24/7, and others just need something as simple as a hello from a friend. If anyone was dropped off on a desert island, they would go crazy eventually because there would be no one there to listen to them, talk to them, and comfort them, except maybe inanimate objects. On the other hand, they would have no one to question them or make fun of them for the things they do.
Another reason one might worry about what other people think is the influence they have on others. If you have a negative appearance, people will think badly of you, and cast you down and make fun of you. No one might want to talk to you, let you sit by him or her, or even deny you as a human being. No one wants to be fun of, so there is always this constant fear that if you say something wrong or something that some may find “stupid”, you restrain from saying it, in fear that you will be ridiculed or made fun of. Humans are very critical beings, and as a result ideas are withdrawn, and fear is always a factor in everyday life.
Now on the subject if we control it or not, it really depends. All people have a their own personal reflection on you based on what they see you do, say, act, and your interests. All of these definitely let people classify you into what “group” they think you seem fit to be in. Now some people are more critical or more “mean” than others, but they still use attributes you have to reach their conclusion. They might make fun of you, no matter what you do to them or what you do to change. They will still be able to make fun of you. This is an example where you cannot help what people think of you. Now, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Mothers and fathers normally have unconditional love for their children, and love them no matter what they get into, what they like, they still categorize them as their “special” son or daughter. For the most part, we do have some control over what others think, due to our attributes. You can change little things, like not looking as mean or ferocious by holding a door open for someone or using good manners, but most of your main attributes will still be noticed, whether that is a good thing or not.
In conclusion, there are many ways one might be afraid of what people think. It could result in negative emotions from one’s peers, or wanting to be recognized as a human being and having the same rights. We do to a degree control what others think of see and think of us, but a big part is how the observer views it in their own perspective.
Why is it difficult not to care about what others think of you? Do we control the way other people see And think about us?
People care about what others think, It is extremely hard to hold one’s image nowadays, but it is still important for almost all people to be recognized and whatever they are or are not categorized. Humans are naturally social, and want to talk to other beings, discuss things with them, and feel comfortable with others. That being said, there are people who don’t really care what others think of them, but they do need attention to an extent. Everyone needs attention; it’s just the degree of attention that differs from person to person. Some people feel that they need attention 24/7, and others just need something as simple as a hello from a friend. If anyone was dropped off on a desert island, they would go crazy eventually because there would be no one there to listen to them, talk to them, and comfort them, except maybe inanimate objects. On the other hand, they would have no one to question them or make fun of them for the things they do.
Another reason one might worry about what other people think is the influence they have on others. If you have a negative appearance, people will think badly of you, and cast you down and make fun of you. No one might want to talk to you, let you sit by him or her, or even deny you as a human being. No one wants to be fun of, so there is always this constant fear that if you say something wrong or something that some may find “stupid”, you restrain from saying it, in fear that you will be ridiculed or made fun of. Humans are very critical beings, and as a result ideas are withdrawn, and fear is always a factor in everyday life.
Now on the subject if we control it or not, it really depends. All people have a their own personal reflection on you based on what they see you do, say, act, and your interests. All of these definitely let people classify you into what “group” they think you seem fit to be in. Now some people are more critical or more “mean” than others, but they still use attributes you have to reach their conclusion. They might make fun of you, no matter what you do to them or what you do to change. They will still be able to make fun of you. This is an example where you cannot help what people think of you. Now, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Mothers and fathers normally have unconditional love for their children, and love them no matter what they get into, what they like, they still categorize them as their “special” son or daughter. For the most part, we do have some control over what others think, due to our attributes. You can change little things, like not looking as mean or ferocious by holding a door open for someone or using good manners, but most of your main attributes will still be noticed, whether that is a good thing or not.
In conclusion, there are many ways one might be afraid of what people think. It could result in negative emotions from one’s peers, or wanting to be recognized as a human being and having the same rights. We do to a degree control what others think of see and think of us, but a big part is how the observer views it in their own perspective.
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