Materialism disturbs me terribly.

[bertha katzenengel]

Yet I indulge in it.

Discuss.

[Deja Q]

1. I cannot dislike it.

My possessions are related to everything I do and everything I am.

See the link in my sig line to get an answer why.

[bertha katzenengel]

9. I understand that.

But I regret to say that if it weren't for my Aspy's nephew, I might not.

Happy Christmas, Toad.

[Deja Q]

16. Happy Christmas to you too, Bertha.

:pals: :hug:

[AlienAvatar]

2. I'm sorry

this is off topic, but, although I'm not religious, I have to say God bless you for your work with Katzenengel. I clicked the link on your profile.

I always liked that name "bertha venation". I remember it from years ago.

I'm just too foggy to do much thinking right now. Maybe after more coffee and a Monster or two, I'll be ready for materialism. For now I'll just say I don't like it. Not a very persuasive argument, but I'm not in very good shape yet.

[bertha katzenengel]

4. Thank you, Alien.

I'm grateful for your thoughts.

(As you saw, my site's a little out of date right now :blush:)

edit: ps why are you foggy? i haven't read a lot of threads... late night? not feeling well?)

[AlienAvatar]

18. Just a late night.

Feelin' fine and thanks fer askin'

I'm a rootin', tootin', cowboy!
Actually, I think I've had enough port for today!

[mopinko]

3. my spoiled kids.

i am with you. but i am one of 7 around here. 1.
my kids had a crazy good christmas, and DH just bought a brand new car.
i just want some money in the f'ing bank. and i want to do more charitable giving. like in some sort of proportion to the spending orgy. any proportion.
i had a nice christmas myself, but at least my big present, a painting by a friend, is not money in the big corporate till. we did very little big box shopping.

[bertha katzenengel]

11. "we did very little big box shopping." -- when I read this

it hit me: that's one of the things I'm talking about.

Now for me & Mrs. V., gifts for ourselves, I guess we did big-box shopping. But I am the "big winner." She said all she wanted was a book and a CD (I gave her three CDs). But fer chrissakes, she got me a Roomba, a Bose iPod docking station, and Bose noise-canceling headphones. I am grateful, but still --

the guilt over my materialism sets in.

[LaurenG]

5. We didn't "play" this year

We bought nothing for each other and small gifts for a few family members, mostly the grandkids.

We did support a couple of charities for hunger etc.

I wish our society cared for each other all year long instead of just around the holidays too.

[gpandas]

6. well done

[NMDemDist2]

7. I wouldn't have minded a couple presents under the tree this year

good thing I have trains and stuffed animals or it would have looked awfully lonely

we haven't had presents for ourselves in 6 years due to one circumstance or the other (this year it was no jobs=no $$ and we spent what little Christmas $$$ there was on me driving to Louisiana to cheer up my sad stepmother who is spending her first Christmas alone)

I told hubby last night before we fell asleep, that next year I want LOTS of presents under the tree for him and me and that I was gonna start shopping in October :rofl:

Even if it's a small budget, I'm gonna stretch it like there's no tomorrow :evilgrin:

Merry Christmas Bertha and to Mrs Katzengel too :hi:

[Hugin]

8. As a living being you have needs...

To survive you do your best to fulfill those needs.

The expression of love via receiving or giving from others to meet your/their needs
is a corner stone of civilization.

But, as always, some will try to take advantage of what is in it's heart a
very altruistic situation.

That's where greed and materialism taint the act of exchange.

[Oeditpus Rex]

10. How do you indulge in it?

Through materialism with others (i.e. gift-giving) or with yourself?

What about either disturbs you?

[bertha katzenengel]

12. for myself

see my reply to MoPinko

and for others - well, that's the thing. Until we got a very small inheritance from my grandmother's estate, none of us (my sisters and I) had cash to spare. Sister # 2 paid her bills. Mrs. V. and I paid our property taxes, gave gifts to our impoverished yard man and Mrs. V.'s niece, and bought all that crap for me. :(

But my sisters and I decided this year and in the future, no more xmas gifts for each other. We don't need 'em.

But I sure took care of myself. Yeah, I'm feeling guilty. I'm not looking for "you shouldn't feel guilty" replies. It's just there, and I live with it. It's motivating, though. I'm thinking of what good I can do in the community with my new salary.

Happy Xmas, Rex.

[Oeditpus Rex]

13. Is the guilt because

you got more than you gave, or because you think you're part of the problem and therefore cannot be part of the solution?

[bertha katzenengel]

14. To an extent, both. But it's more the former than the latter.

I know I can be part of the solution.

[Oeditpus Rex]

15. Yeah, you can be whatever you choose

But I find that trying to be part of the solution is like swimming upstream in rapids teeming with school buses, SUVs and Wal-Mart trucks. The vast majority doesn't seem to want a solution because it doesn't perceive a problem. And even if you want to solve only your own problem, you still meet with much resistance.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=5983901&mesg_id=5983901

[Gatchaman]

17. I like materialism

it's what seperates us from the fundies.

[ellisonz]

19. You win.

Materialist analysis is so much better than functionalism - down w/Durkheim. Up with Marx.

:patriot: