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What is antimaterialism? Well, materialism is, “the doctrine that nothing exists except matter and its movements and modifications.” It is an excessive obsession with the things of this world. In fact, nothing exists except the things of this world.
So antimaterialism is to go in the opposite direction, it’s a refusal to obsess over the things of this world. That would include stuff and money, but also social status, cultural norms, and people’s drama.
In some ways I’m kind of expert on antimaterialism. My kids would probably call me cheap, uncool, and uptight. I try hard not to be those things, but antimaterialism really is an ideology, a lifestyle choice, a form of worship, so it is rather important to me. It’s also rebellion, defiance, resistance. It helps to have grown up really poor and to have managed to hang onto most of that.
My antimaterialism is not depravation, it is not a trauma response, it is a constant choice, one I have make over and over again. There is a saying that’s a bit harsh but I really like it, “we’re building a culture that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”
We live in a very consumeristic culture. We’re consuming everything from stuff to celebrity to entire belief systems. I love capitalism, mostly on account of the readily available hot running water and electricity. Also roads and bridges. But it all has a downside, one I think is becoming really self evident today. We have pretty much become narcissistic consumers, constantly obsessed with keeping up with the Jones, obsessed with what we don’t have. I need MOAR.
Once I have all the cool stuff, people will like me and I’ll feel safe.
There is this terribly annoying ad, trying to sell you your part D, E, F, G medicare supplement. There is this karen whining to her husband, “But Harry, we’re entitled to it and we’re just not getting what we’re owed!” I just want to punch her right in the nose! Also, this ad has nothing to do with social security or anything from the government, it’s selling you a product by exploiting our modern sense of entitlement, materialism, and envy. “Harry, we need to get what’s coming to us!” Ai yi yi.
It’s so ironic to me, probably one of the least material things in the world is actually money. It has an artificially assigned value we cannot see. It is not tangible. It’s value is not material and objective. When you reduce it to matter all you’ve got is some paper.
Anyway, money is not really the issue, it is what is going on in our souls that is important, how we are allowing the culture to shape and form us, who rules over us, what we serve and what we value.
See, there's this thing called biology... 
I’m with you. All this stuff I spent money for has very little value to me now. It was just a form of pleasure that I enjoyed. I’d like some of my money back! I’m beginning to feel the effects of inflation with no means for increasing resources. But nobody is going to fill my gas tank and let me pay them with a dozen books!
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Ha! You could totally pay me with a dozen books. 😊 But yes, things around us are getting a bit disconcerting.
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Gotta love fiat currencies. I was watching one of those prepper shows, and they asked the guest “what is most valuable if the economy collapses? Gold?”. The answer was food.
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Yes! If gas keeps going up I can always ride my bike and walk. The real problem is that trucking companies need gas to deliver our food and if it goes much higher, they just can’t stay in business.
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I now live in a rural area, and there are lots of farms. That’s a blessing. I can’t imagine living in the inner city and depending on others for supplies.
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I grew up with “stuff,” and yet I share your sentiment. At this point in my life, the most valuable thing I have is time, and once a day is spent, I’ll never get it back. Do I want to spend that day buying, cleaning, insuring, repairing, polishing, and displaying “stuff”? I’ve got to believe there are more meaningful ways to spend my last days on this planet.
Jesus spoke of the “deceitfulness of riches,” and I think I understand what He meant. When I’ve spent a day dealing with my stuff, or online trying to straighten out a mess with the bank, I feel as though I’ve been robbed. I was led astray by Stuff’s demand for my attention, and now it’s too late to spend that day doing what I really wanted to do.
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Ha! You make a really good point about how much work is involved in having stuff! I like all kinds of little things and knick knacks, but than I think about having to dust the shelves and rearrange all the time, and I just put it back. It’s cute, I saw it, I’ll treasure it in my heart forever, but I am just not dusting that thing off every week. 🙂
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Exactly!
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Good post! Those that survived the Great Depression probably would have appreciated it.
Just one little detail. The value of our money is set by the market place by currency speculators based upon supply and demand. The question is why do we need money. The answer comes from the mechanism our government uses to make money valuable to us. We have to pay our taxes in dollars. That fiat has replaced the need to back our money with a valuable commodity like gold or silver. The strange thing is how few people realize this.
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Mostly, we don’t need money. Even loans are just digits typed up on a machine. Most payroll is direct deposited. Our fiat is not green very often, unless it’s marijuana tax in NM. I’ve heard that’s the really green stuff.
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The representational of money as bits in a computer has the same function as printed money. They are just different technologies used to accomplish the same thing. The difference is that our computerized transactions are much easier to track and control.
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Yes, that’s a good point. Very easy to track and control
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Leaving a material legacy for your family is important, but leaving a spiritual legacy is better.
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Like you IB I grew up dirt poor and I have never forgotten what that was like. I learned not to want much if anything growing up. I just recently replaced my old laptop and it took a couple of years to do that. My old one took literally 10 minutes to boot up and doing anything on it was like pulling teeth. I wanted a good one though to replace it so that it would last for years. Same with my phone it is a bit older and not as flashy, but I can call people and that is what matters. We do have TV’s and some game systems, but these were also bought over time. It has nothing to do with keeping up with the Jones they are simply things we enjoy from time to time.
I see nothing wrong with owning things and enjoying them it is a matter of the heart as in what is your motivation for owning them. Do you want them like you said to feel cool or even better than others, or is because it is something you personally enjoy? Like gaming it gives my mind something to do I don’t play violent games. It is just something to help with boredom because there is little I can do physically, but my mind is still as active as it was before I became disabled.
We don’t buy new things often, but when we do we will use it until it no longer works and as a matter of fact we have old systems that still work. As I said i think it is a matter of the heart and why you want things like a better house, car, phone, gaming system, etc and there are wrong reasons like impressing others, keeping up with the Jones, etc. If I was out to impress it would fall flat anyway because I don’t hang out with other people very often maybe once or twice a year.
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Good comment!
It’s kind of popular these days to blame everything about us on video games, but I think they are great! I’ve helped kids learn how to read with them, they promote good eye hand coordination, they exercise your mind. We once had a group of seniors getting together doing some virtual bowling and tennis that was wonderful for their health and well being. So no video game shaming on my end!
Too much of anything is not good for you. I tend to read books too much. I could lock myself away and just read forever, but I know it isn’t healthy, it isn’t ideal, so I have to drag myself out into the sunlight once in a while. 🙂
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I agree first they blamed music, then movies, and now video games for all that is ill in the world it is just another way of allowing people not to take responsibility for their bad behavior. The oldest gamer I know of is a lady named Shirley Curry she is near 90 years old and plays Skyrim Elder Scrolls V she is just adorable. Video games actually helped me to improve my eye hand coordination after my stroke in 2009. Exercising my mind is why I play them and they are fun too. I also think for older people keeping the mind active helps keep it healthy.
I use to be like you and always had a book in my hand, but cataracts brought that to an end seeing double makes reading a real book impossible. I do use audible for the times I really want a story. I actually kind of like being read to now.
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The best anti-materialists are very materialistic about their anti-materialism. Also, some would argue that paper money isn’t actually money.
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