Introduction
The pursuit of happiness can be considered a natural aspect of human life because any effort applied both at work and in social interactions is inherently linked to the aspiration for well-being and personal comfort. From a psychological perspective, people subconsciously want to fulfill their individual ambitions and satisfy their egos to achieve what they want, whether through career prospects or through social contacts. One of the tools for achieving inner harmony, which can be regarded as a manifestation of happiness, is materialism, or the accumulation of material values designed to create comfort and a sense of prosperity. Do personal possessions really define one’s happiness, or are they the sublimation of unrealized opportunities into material goods? For many people, well-being is associated with the ability to acquire what they want, thereby satisfying their interests and sometimes internal complexes. However, as the results of the analysis show, materialism is not a direct and unambiguous driver of happiness, and psychological needs persist, preventing subjective well-being from being addressed.
Implications of Materialism on Personal Well-Being
While analyzing the relationship between personal possessions and happiness, one can assume that the desire to accumulate wealth is a way to achieve financial well-being. In other words, not being able to realize individual aspirations in other ways, a person compensates for this gap through extrinsic motivation by convincing oneself that material accumulations can improve life. Nevertheless, according to Wang et al. (2017), such a belief is erroneous and often causes the development of psychological problems. As the authors state, subjective well-being (SWB) is a personal determinant of happiness and directly correlates with psychological needs (Wang et al., 2017). When drawing a parallel between the variables under consideration, the researchers argue that “materialism impairs individuals’ psychological needs satisfaction, and in turn decreases SWB and increases depression” (Wang et al., 2017, p. 312). Such a perspective indicates that possessions cannot be considered criteria for assessing happiness since, despite temporary psychological satisfaction, subsequently, a person does not experience moral well-being.
As further evidence of the relationship between materialism and a disturbed perception of happiness, one can assess the prospects for the development of behavioral patterns under the influence of the desire to accumulate possessions. Sirgy (2018) considers the correlations between material well-being and human lifestyle and notes that materialism is a stimulus that increases life dissatisfaction and causes high expectations. Any attempt to generate income and transform it into possessions is associated with a continuous pursuit of new goals, which, in turn, can create the illusion of unfulfilled dreams. According to Sirgy (2018), for some, the process of material needs satisfaction is more important than the end result. This means that, by realizing one’s ambitions, a person subconsciously fills the void in life, which, however, cannot be considered an effective tool for overcoming complexes and internal barriers. As a result, possessions should be seen rather as additional factors associated with the adoption of a happy state than as the key criteria for determining happiness and harmony.
The assessment of the causal relationship between materialism and happiness can be given in the context of social well-being as one of the significant determinants of life satisfaction. In an effort to prove their independence and the right to recognition, people often pursue the goal of accumulating possessions. Moreover, this perception of social well-being is a trend, and the possession of certain goods is an indicator of belonging to specific groups and communities. Duan and Dholakia (2017) conduct a study aimed at identifying the reasons why people post photos of their purchases on social media, as well as the impacts of this behavior on their internal well-being. Based on the findings, “posting purchases on social media has a positive influence on consumers’ happiness, through the mediating roles of perceived impact of purchases on self and interpersonal relationships” (Duan & Dholakia, 2017, p. 404). At the same time, this result is objective in the context of social well-being and can hardly reflect the general definition of happiness. Therefore, the assessment of the influence of materialism allows for variable impacts with distinctive goals and manifestations on the relevant aspects of life.
Individual Criteria for Forming the Attitude to Possessions
In the topic of the relationship between material possessions and happiness, some individual criteria are essential to take into account. Age can be considered one of the most obvious parameters that determine the differences in the role of materialism in subjective well-being. As Suar et al. (2020) note, comparing millennials’ views on the importance of possessions in life with those of older generations shows clear distinctions in perception. For younger people, material pursuits carry more symbolism and make it possible to classify themselves as progressive people. This attitude also influences the rooting of positive emotional patterns and, therefore, strengthens inner harmony, which can be regarded as a manifestation of happiness. While speaking of other criteria that affect the attitude towards possessions, one can suggest, for instance, differences in gender or nationality. However, given the globalization of social trends and common access to cultural and marketing offers, these factors may be less expressed and manifest more individually than in mass.
Arguments in Favor of the Possessions-Happiness Correlation
Based on the aforementioned age criterion, a direct relationship between personal possessions and happiness can be considered valid. In addition, when speaking of happiness as a momentary state but not a permanent phenomenon, satisfying individual needs for accumulating material wealth is a way to create a temporary emotional uplift. People who are influenced by others experience a surge of confidence and a sense of harmony as a result of addressing their dreams in relation to material goods. Therefore, from such perspectives, there is a correlation between the phenomena under consideration.
However, as a deeper analysis of the topic shows, the relationship between possessions and happiness cannot be considered from one position, and different classifications and definitions may be given. The duration of the effect of subjective well-being, the cost of material goods, and other factors are essential to take into account. Based on research findings, one can note that, in general, the relationship between possessions and happiness is weak and sometimes even detrimental. Therefore, material goods can hardly be considered tools for solving psychological complexes and improving subjective well-being.
Conclusion
The causal relationship between personal possessions and happiness is rather negative than positive because the pursuit of material goods is weakly correlated with subjective well-being. Individual criteria, such as age, can be considered factors in support of the presented relationship. However, excluding individual predispositions, in general, addressing internal complexes through possessions is ineffective and often associated with depressive states due to the inability to achieve the desired harmony.
References
Duan, J., & Dholakia, R. R. (2017). Posting purchases on social media increases happiness: The mediating roles of purchases’ impact on self and interpersonal relationships. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 34(5), 404-413.
Sirgy, M. J. (2018). The psychology of material well-being. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 13(2), 273-301.
Suar, D., Jha, A. K., Das, S. S., Alat, P., & Patnaik, P. (2020). What do millennials think of their past, present, and future happiness, and where does their happiness reside? Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 34(3), 345-361.
Wang, R., Liu, H., Jiang, J., & Song, Y. (2017). Will materialism lead to happiness? A longitudinal analysis of the mediating role of psychological needs satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 105, 312-317.