THE MATERIAL SELF

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the chapter, the students are

able to:
1. Develop understanding about material
self.
2. Describe the basic components of
material self.
3. Discuss the influence of media in material
possessions.
4. Develop qualities of a wise buyer.
 Material Self
According to William James, the material
self is the:
“sum total of all that he can call his, not only his
body and his psychic powers, but his clothes and
his house, his wife and children, his ancestors
and friends, his reputation and works, his lands,
and yacht and bank-account. All these things
give him the same emotions. If they wax and
prosper, he feels triumphant; if they dwindle and
die away, he feels cast down - not necessarily in
the same degree for each thing, but in much the
same way for all.”
• A person’s possessions like the body,
family, clothes, money, house, car, and
other tangible objects make up the material
self.
• The basic component of the material self
includes the body.
• One of the tasks of adolescents is that of
accepting and appreciating the physical
characteristics of their body.
• Few adolescents are able to do this
successfully.
• Adolescents tend to worry about their
bodies and physical appearance.
• Another component of the material self is
the clothes that people wear.
• Clothes represent the self.
• The style and brand of clothes becomes a
symbolic significance.
• The material component of the self can
include books, bed, money, car, house and
other things that a person can call his own
possession.
• The material components of the self also
includes people such as immediate and
extended family members (my family) as
well as close friends (my friend) that the
person feels psychologically connected
• These people are likely to shape and
influence the development of self and
identity.
• Pets could also symbolically define a
person’s identity.
• A person’s pet could be an expression of
one’s social status, pride, and prestige.
Effects of Material Possessions
• Regardless of how much or how little
material possessions people have, they
are interested in material possessions.
• Possessions can be used as status
symbol. Cars, house, gadgets, and clothes
are the most valuable possessions
because they are the most visible in the
eyes of others.
• The more expensive, the more other
people are impressed.
• Material possessions can be a reflection of
hard work and success.
• People tend to measure success through
material possessions.
• Material possessions can make people
more motivated to work harder to achieve
them.
• Defining the self by material possessions
can also contribute to feelings of well-
being, including a sense of personal
growth and purpose or meaning in life.
• H o w e v e r, l a c k o r l o s s o f m a t e r i a l
possessions can be disruptive to the mental
health of some people.
• The strong desire for material possessions
could have negative effects.
• Materialism is the importance people give
on material possessions.
• Someone with a high level of materialism is
called materialistic.
• A materialistic person is excessively
concerned with the acquisition of material
possessions.
• The strong desire for material possessions
could lead to psychological dysfunction or
impairment in functioning such as
compulsive buying disorder (CBD) which
is characterized by an obsession with
shopping and buying behaviors that
causes adverse consequences (e.g.,
debts).
• Psychologists are identifying social and
cultural factors that seem strongly
implicated in the etiology of materialism.
• Lack or loss of material possessions
could lead to anxiety, insecurity, and
depression.
• Thus, when a person is about to make a
purchase, he should ask himself/herself
a very important question:
DO I REALLY NEED THIS?