A person who is concerned solely or primarily with possessing and enjoying – who can no longer subordinate his instincts – cannot be free. Materialism has grown fat in the U.S., nursed by a deep cultural consumerism.

A person who is concerned solely or primarily with possessing and enjoying – who can no longer subordinate his instincts – cannot be free. Materialism has grown fat in the U.S., nursed by a deep cultural consumerism.
Simply, but elegantly put: consumerism is a style of life directed towards “having” rather than “being”. It is a “web of false and superficial gratifications.” (Pope St. John Paul II)
Consumerism arises from a misunderstanding about the meaning of life and the real source of human happiness: It is an addiction to buying things, to spending money, as a solution to the lack of happiness and peace in one’s life, in one’s family.