In Fight Club, Brad Pitt’s character, Tyler Durden, delivered a powerful line: “The things you own end up owning you.” The main message is that many define themselves through material things, whether branded clothes, shiny gadgets, unneeded furniture, or expensive jewelry.
Consumerism has been a hot-button issue for decades, and many people are going against it. One group is the Anticonsumption subreddit, which has nearly 800,000 members as of this posting.
We’ve collected a handful of posts that express disapproval against all forms of materialism. See which ones you’re able to relate to the most.
#1 Some Of The Scenes After Creamfields North Festival This Year. All Tents And Camping Gear Were Abandoned + Left In The Fields, Alongside An Inconceivable Amount Of General Trash
Image credits: Lemon_nukes
#2 Such Incredible Waste…
Image credits: Shlublord
In a similar piece, Bored Panda spoke with UK-based clinical psychologist and The Thomas Connection founder Michaela Thomas. She discussed a potential link between overspending and mental disorders.
“If overspending is due to lack of financial planning, or wanting the dopamine kick of how good it feels to purchase something, that can be linked to ADHD, depression, mania, psychosis, or other dopamine-related issues.”
#3 Over Production Of The Wrong Stuff?
Image credits: Zxasuk31
#4 True
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#5 To Keep Prices High . .
Image credits: SlushyExtis
Then there is the question of, “What drives a person to purchase a product or service?” Survey Sparrow gave several factors, perception being one of them. It is the manner in which a consumer interprets information about what they intend to buy.
“A consumer who has had a positive experience with a particular brand may have a more favorable perception of that brand than a consumer who has not had any experience with the brand.”
#6 Rage
Image credits: CheesySoldier
#7 Kardashian Calling Someone Cute For Having To Work 20 Hrs To Afford Their Jeans
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#8 Saw This Flyer On My College Campus
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#9 This Is Annoying
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#10 Profitable War Is One Thing
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Our beliefs likewise influence purchasing decisions, which can be influenced by cultural values, personal experience, and social influence.
“For example, consumers who believe organic products are healthier may be more likely to purchase organic foods.”
#11 I Am Not Sure If This Is A “Hot Take” But There Is Literally No Reason Why Anyone *needs* A Private Plane Or Yacht That Cause Literal Tons Of Environmental Damage Unless They Are An Important Essential Official, We Should Legally Ban Them All
Image credits: booksnpizza
#12 What’s Yours?
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#13 Most Items In This Store Will Be In A Landfill Within A Decade. In Two Decades, Effectively Everything In This Store Will Have Been Buried In The Earth, Burned, Washed Out To Sea, Or Shipped To And Dumped In An Impoverished Country
Image credits: sentientmassofenergy
The discussion took a slightly darker turn when talking about materialism. Here’s an analysis by Knox College psychology professor Dr. Tim Kasser.
“We know from research that materialism tends to be associated with treating others in more competitive, manipulative, and selfish ways, as well as with being less empathetic.”
#14 Black Friday My Ass
Image credits: StreetSquare6462
#15 Got My Pizza And It Came With These Napkins. I Ordered Food, Not Political Ads
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#16 This Popped Up On My Feed
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#17 Food Is Free
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#18 Simple Math
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According to Dr. Kasser, people who tend to be materialistic also experience problems outside of their mental health.
“They reported physical health problems, such as stomachaches and headaches, and the less they experienced pleasant emotions and felt satisfied with their lives.”
#19 This Thing Sucks, Buy A Different One
Image credits: Dazzling_Pirate1411
#20 Eat Shit, Advertising Drones
Image credits: Anastariana
#21 Better Packaging Options Do Exist
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#22 ? ❤️
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#23 Do We The People See This For How Truly Messed Up It Is?
Image credits: lemongrasssmell
Dr. Kasser also pointed out that people who turn to materialism are likely dealing with personal insecurities.
“People are more materialistic when they feel insecure or threatened, whether because of rejection, economic fears or thoughts of their own death.”
#24 Be Honest
Image credits: Zxasuk31
#25 Based
Image credits: Mediocre_Heart_3032
#26 On A Beach Vacation, I Walked Out On A Pier To Watch The Sunset When This Hideous Electronic Billboard Cruised By Scrolling Ads In The Middle Of The Ocean. It Felt So Dystopian. Nowhere Is Free From Advertising!
Image credits: Nica-sauce-rex
#27 Absolutamente
Image credits: Zxasuk31
Signs of materialism are believed to manifest at a young age. According to Professor Mònica Casabayó of Spain’s Esade University, family income determines whether a child will grow up to be a consumerist.
“Children in lower-income families were significantly more materialistic than children growing up in higher-income families,” she said in an article for the University website.
#28 You Will Own Nothing
Image credits: [deleted]
#29 Environmental Footprints Of Dairy And Plant-Based Milks
Image credits: VarunTossa5944
#30 Seeing People Paying Hundreds For A Overpriced Clothing With A Giant Logo Triggers Me
Image credits: antek_g_animations
#31 Random American Sees This And Says Nah It’s Better Than A Well Working Railway Network
Image credits: Nik-42
#32 “There Are Fewer Fish In The Sea Than Ever Before”
Image credits: TeeKu13
#33 Influencers Are The Worst
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#34 Saw This Chart On Fb. How Often You Should Change Those Household Items
Image credits: MDGR28
#35 When I Say My Jaw Dropped…
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#36 Spotted In Singapore: A Way To Dry Your Umbrella Instead Of Using A Single-Use Bag Each Time
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#37 Bullying
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#38 Your Real Job
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#39 Good Point
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#40 Consumer Kills
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Professor Casabayó and her colleagues also found that a child’s education plays a role.
“Our data show that children in religious schools were less materialistic than children in secular schools. Religious schools may influence children by putting over a world view where spiritual ends are more important than possessions.”
#41 Went Hiking And Came Across The Aftermath Of A Gender Reveal
Image credits: Immediate_Leg3304
#42 How Do People Not See Thr Addiction Aspect Of Shopping?
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#43 Ever Hopeful I Might Be Able To Change Some Minds
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#44 Why Are We Almost Ignoring The Sheer Volume Of Aircraft In The Global Warming Discussion
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#45 Oh I Guess Natural Diamonds Are Great For The Environment
Image credits: Jaysong_stick
#46 My Vinyl Office Chair Has Been Peeling For Years. Decided To Get It Reupholstered Instead Of Replacing It
Image credits: analogsimulacrum
#47 Disney Taking Cultural Appropriation To A Whole New Level
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#48 You Love To See It
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#49 Kanopy✅
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#50 My Goodness…
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#51 Thank God! I’m Relieved Now
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#52 Well, You Shouldn’t Have Expected
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#53 Over $150 Of Unclaimed Mobile Starbucks Orders Wasted Because People Were Too Busy To Pick Up Today
Image credits: CoffeeChangesThings
#54 Why Is That A Bad Thing ?
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#55 I’ll Never Understand Why So Many People (Especially In The States) Are So Vehemently Opposed To Washing Dishes
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#56 Mall Of America Of The Seas
Image credits: CrazyAssBlindKid
#57 My Friend Found This At The Airport. Makes Me So Mad
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#58 This Is Really Sad
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#59 Thanks To This Sub, I Knew How To Repair These Instead Of Replacing Them ?
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#60 Googling Anything
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#61 Data Pollution
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#62 Saw This As A Meme On Instagram Today! Instantly Thought Of Anticonsumption
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#63 Eat Healthy With A Side Of Micro Plastics
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#64 I Hate This
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#65 The Kings Of Promoting Consumerism
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#66 Happy Black Week, R/Anticonsumption
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#67 How Much Plastic Junk Is Needed?
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#68 Happy People Don’t Buy Much
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#69 Amazing ?
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#70 Without A Doubt
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#71 Couldn’t Have Said It Better Myself
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#72 Just Discovered The Most Pointless Item I’ve Seen In Awhile
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#73 Analysis Paralysis
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#74 Coke Has Been One Of The Most Disastrous Companies For The Planet And Our Health, It’s About Time To See This
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#75 Save And Repair
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#76 What Zionists Are Genociding For
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#77 The Aftermath Of Nye
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#78 Saw Someone Share A Pic Of Their Phone, Thought I’d Do The Same
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#79 Lawn Hating Post Beware
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#80 Black Friday Idiocy
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#81 Remember When Nature And Imagination Kept Us Occupied For Hours
Image credits: CrazyAssBlindKid
#82 This Is So Sad
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#83 Highwaymen Lobbyist
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#84 What Would You Call Amazon?
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#85 My Coworkers Make Fun Of My Pencil
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#86 Spend More Money, Loser
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#87 Target Is Still Well Stocked On Soulless Christmas Trees
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#88 Think About It
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#89 This Is So Embarrassing
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#90 Next Level Of Gadget Addiction Is Coming. Wearing This Will Become The Norm
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#91 Is Tourism Becoming Toxic?
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#92 This Is A Closet
Image credits: CrazyAssBlindKid