Into The Wild Materialism Analysis

Materialism is the obsession with possessing material items and consumer goods. Consumerism revolves around in the way individuals function. From TV shows to the clothes we wear and the ads we see, there will always be consumerism values and placements of products. Materialism ruins our everyday happiness. It attaches logos and specific brands at a young age affecting how people determine the need for a specific item to become satisfied but makes individuals feel as if one cannot be happy or live without these material objects. There is a major difference between utilizing material objects to help people grow and expand life versus the thought process that individuals need material items to thrive in life. Today many are told that we can buy
Researchers surveyed 1,700 couples across the nation and asked about their relationship, and how much they valued having money and materialistic items (Regis). One in five couples both admitted a strong love of money, but the couples also said money is their main source of conflict. Money loving couples scored 10 to 15 percent worse on relationship stability than those couples who said money was not important. Materialistic individuals spend more time looking for new things than nurturing their relationships. Many who strive for material objects tend to also pay less attention to family, friends and character
This reflects individuals in the 21st century because people want to pursue the new and the better. However, instead of embarking on a career after graduating from Emory College Christopher decides to give his savings to charity, get rid of his possessions and set a journey to Alaska. He abandons his car in the desert, forgoing the use of a car to travel on foot and burns his leftover cash. Moreover, Christopher was willing to give away his money and belongings to others in need but resisted receiving help from others. Christopher believed that he could give his life meaning by pursuing a relationship with nature. He also believed that rejecting human relationships, abandoning his materialistic ways, and purchasing a book about wildlife would strengthen his relationship with nature. Most importantly, he realizes that human relationships are valuable than being isolated. When Christopher first embarked on his journey, he believed that he needed to get rid of all his material possessions to get the most out of life. For example, in one of his first journal entries, he wrote that he was better off experiencing the wild without a camera because memories and experiences give life