What do you think of when you think of the word “materialistic” or “materialism?”
When I think of this word, I think of typically expensive things, such as jewelry, and designer clothes and shoes. Things that are pretty but not what you might call “useful.” At least, I don’t. Then again, depending on who you ask, (like my dad) the same could be said for books.
Personally, all my extra funds are spent on books. Since discovering PangoBooks, the majority of the books I buy are used and discounted. But since I could get them from the library, you could make the argument that buying so many books, new or otherwise, could also be considered “materialistic.”
What do you think?
It depends on why you buy them.
But, yes, buying books to show them off on a shelf or because you like being surrounded by books or something is probably in some sense materialistic.
After all, you could get ebooks or borrow them from your library or something like that.
For example, I will normally read ebooks or library books but then buy the ones that heavily influenced my thinking. Part of it is so I can reread them. But mostly I want to display them on a shelf both for other people to know what matters to me and so I feel surrounded by these pieces of myself. I think both of those are materialistic goals.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with being somewhat materialistic though.