Why Excessive Materialism Is a Sign of Mental Illness

Psychology of materialism

We all like money, and we all want it. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. However, I believe wanting to have more money and materialism are entirely different things.

Materialism is about the following:

• Excessive care about appearances
• Narcissism
• Being shallow
• Fear of being judged

It is the tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than everything else. Underneath this belief lies caring strongly about one’s image and what other people think about you. Therefore materialism is a narcissistic trait.

Materialistic people want money because they like to appear wealthy and successful. For them, it is not about having money to spend on things they want. They will often spend money on things that contribute to their “appearance” of being rich.

Someone doesn’t have to be wealthy or successful to be materialistic. Lots of people who cannot afford designer clothes may use what little money they have to get even a few items of such clothing just so that they can wear these and look like they can afford a luxury lifestyle.

Materialistic people also want to do things not because they are interested but because it makes them appear wealthy. An example is my ex from years back — we were sitting outside one day and a helicopter flew by. Then he said, “Do you know what I think when I see a helicopter?” and I asked, “What?”

He replied, “I wonder what it takes someone to be so successful that they can get up there.”

He wanted to work hard, get rich and buy a helicopter. This was not because he likes helicopters but because having one would be seen as a sign that he is wealthy and successful.

Some people may have expensive interests even though they are not materialistic. For instance, they may really like cars or fashion, which means they buy an expensive car or have an expensive taste in clothes. But for them, these are not to look rich — they are genuinely interested in whatever they are buying. This is what separates materialistic people from others.

I met a couple recently who were obsessed with their appearances. They would not go out a lot just to save money and had recently bought a really nice car. The issue was, they didn’t really use the car and didn’t need it either — they bought it because they believed it makes them look good.

Materialistic people spend money on things they don’t need just for appearances.

No one likes materialistic people except for other materialistic people.

And most people are not materialistic. So I think this is the key thing to remember here.

Materialistic people are often under the assumption that when they brag about how much money they make or buy expensive things other people are aware they don’t need, people admire them. But the truth is people just talk about how materialistic and shallow these people are.

For instance, the couple with the car I mentioned as an example before are friends of my friends, and as soon as they left, everyone started talking about how ridiculous their car purchase was. Their friends were beginning to get annoyed with them because they would never go out just to save money and buy things they didn’t need for their “image”.

Similarly, people who buy things that are not necessary get criticised a lot too — my cousin’s partner spent £300 on socks before because he is obsessed with appearances and only wears designer clothes. Everyone was laughing about how ridiculous that was behind his back. Nobody thought he was cool because he spent that much money on socks.

In other words, I think materialistic people don’t realise how most people see them. They don’t realise they come across as arrogant and unlikable to most. I recently heard a guy claim he would never get on the bus because it was what low-class people did, in his opinion. And it was cringe because nobody thought it was funny or agreed with him. It was just awkward silence after he said it.

Excessive materialism indicates narcissistic pathology.

If someone cares so much about their image that they are actually spending all their money to preserve it, it means there is a problem. Of course, we all care about our image — there is nothing wrong with that. But there needs to be a limit.

If you don’t get on the bus for 10 minutes when it’s the most convenient option because you think it makes you look poor, you have a problem.

If you only wear designer clothes because you believe people will judge you if you don’t, you have a problem. Most people don’t notice or care about what you’re wearing unless it looks obviously bad.

If your whole life revolves around appearances and your image, this is a problem again. You should spend most of the money you earn on what YOU want instead of what you think will make other people see you in a good light.

Narcissism is about being obsessed with appearances and attention. Just because someone is materialistic doesn’t mean they are a narcissist. Still, I believe it means they are narcissistic and high levels of narcissism can be found in many mental health disorders.

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