Is it wrong to desire material things?

[The Protagonist]

This post is probably going to be a little long and winded, just a heads up.

Also I'm 17 and a pretty smart person, but that doesn't change the fact that I am only 17 and so a bit immature and I don't have the experience that most people have.

Anyway I was born to and raised by two very simple parents. My Dad came to this country $3,000 in debt and now has assets worth over $1,000,000. The answer in his success lies in two things: education & frugality. My Dad has never spent more then $30 on a pair of shoes, has at most spend $20,000 on a car, and will never throw money away. I on the other hand, spend over a $100 on a pair of shoes then go out the next month and buy more for a greater price, my watch cost me $300 while my Father's Casio which he got at Wal-Mart cost $15. The both of us were raised in different house holds. His family was poor and could barely afford to send him to school. I grew up with money present, but my Dad held onto his roots of not spending unless it was an educational expense or it was my birthday. So I missed out on a lot of the things that kids got growing up and I didn't , and now that I am old enough to work, I've gotten accustomed to treating my self. For the longest time when I think to the future I always see my self as a multi millionaire, tooling around in an Aston Martin, and dropping a few million on the apartment. I see an Omega on my left wrist and a pair of vintage cuff links on my right. I'm not sure why, but I've always wanted this. I have a thing for cars, not a gear head, but I just love to drive and the beauty of the car, so case in point I've always wanted a beautiful car to drive. Right now I have my eyes on a 1999 BMW 5 series. 4 years from now I will be 21 and I want to participate in the Gumball 3000 (it's a 3,000 mile luxury car rally starting in London and the point is to drive across the European continent to Turkey) in an AMG 55. I have a very grounded idea on how I plan to accumulate the money (goal is to have a net worth of $15,000,000 by 25), and my plan definitely plays to my passions and will be a reality - but that's not what I'm asking here. Is it wrong to want material things?

I mean there is a scale, on one hand there is Gandhi and Siddhartha Gautama (the Bhudda) who gave up material possessions in the quest to be enlightened. On the other hand is the life I see in front of me that seems just awesome thanks to I/M. I'm young. I want to spend these years riving around the track in a 16-4, spending the nights at Twist or just flying out to England so I can see the premiere of the Bond movie a day early.

Thoughts/Opinions?

[Radical]

Originally Posted by The Protagonist

I have a very grounded idea on how I plan to accumulate the money (goal is to have a net worth of $15,000,000 by 25), and my plan definitely plays to my passions and will be a reality

Please tell me what your plan is?

[The Protagonist]

I could go on for pages but this is the tremendously abridged version:

1. Undergrad Business School @ Cornell
2. Graduate & Start Career as fitness model and begin working in a company that will give me experience in managing a company in the health care/fitness industry
3. Attend Harvard School of Business either that or Wharton. I love both.
4. start my business which is in the bodybuilding and health care industry. It's rather complex and while I do have plans written out ATM I'm just going to refer to it as the business
5. Expand Expand Expand.

I pretty much see everything clearly and see this as my true purpose. Bodybuilding saved my life, and so it is my mission to spread it

[Radical]

Originally Posted by The Protagonist

Bodybuilding saved my life, and so it is my mission to spread it

How did it save your life?

[The Protagonist]

Aw man I was just on my way out, can you atleast answer my question?

It makes you physically stronger. It builds descipline and makes you mentally stronger. The workout it self the endorphin rush, it's unbelieveable. Arnold Schwarzenegger who was Mr. Olympia described it as akin to cuming in a woman and honestly even though he was ridiculed for that statement he wasn't far off. Getting into bodybuilding and then pursuing it and giving it your all in gym day is one of the most satisfying things I have felt. IT turned me from an oversized computer nerd with no ambitions to someone totally different. That's a story for another day.

[Radical]

No it's not wrong. Whatever makes you happy - to each his own.

[DoAnyOfYouExist]

It is not wrong if you don't hurt anyone to get them and if you can be unattached to them. Not that you don't get pleasure from them but you know they will not last forever and if you lose them or they break you are able to easily let them go. Atleast this seems like the Buddhist principle which I subscribe to.

[sunshinelady]

We are living in an abundant universe. Money or material things are not taken from somebody else. What you asking for you will get. We are here to enjoy our live, without any material things that is not possible. In my opinion you can have everything material as long as it is for the good for others as well and not only for yourself.

Our aim should be to be wealthy in all areas of our life (financially, emotionally, physical, spiritual, mentally)...then your life will be full of miracles

[Andrew Brunelle]

Getting material things is not bad in itself, but if that is your only motivation, then you've got a lot to learn. There is more to life than just material possessions, like family and inner peace. So, intend for your life to get better in an all-encompassing manner.

[Dimitry]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

Getting material things is not bad in itself, but if that is your only motivation, then you've got a lot to learn. There is more to life than just material possessions, like family and inner peace. So, intend for your life to get better in an all-encompassing manner.

I think you've nailed it there. Money/material things are great but to what sacrifice. Each person should determine that. While I'm definately working to be financially independent so I can afford help out my parents, friends, church and community and have enough to have a good life (by my standards) for myself and my family).

Personally though, I'm not as attached to wealth building and have the "finest" things in life as I used to when I was younger because I don't attach true happiness to just that anymore. That's been the real difference in the shift of thinking in the last 5 years now (I'm currently 22).

[RT Wolf]

I'd like to reframe the question in a larger context:

What will make you the happiest?

There's a few answers to this:
Many people think that material things will make them happy, and acquiring material things does make you temporarily happy (usually). However, many consider this a temporary or hollow happiness. Many spend their entire lives trying to gain material goods only to find that they did not get the happiness they had craved.

Another answer is focussing on creating value. This is where one moved out from simply being a consumer and becomes a creator.

Material things in themselves are not good or bad, it's how you feel about them. If you want them cause others don't have them, you're probably on the path of pride and envy ("It's envy, not greed that makes the world go round." Warren Buffett). On the other hand, if you can genuinely look at a beautiful car and want its beauty (and there are some cars that are simply gorgeous), that's slightly better.

I would recommend reading "The Millionaire Next Door', your family sounds like a textbook case of that. That and I would recommend looking up Warren Buffett. He may be the second-richest man in the world, but he lives a very frugal lifestyle. These are recommended if you'd like to practice frugality. Personally, I found The Millionaire Next Door to be a huge eye-opener for my spending habits (which, arguably, were pretty frugal to begin with).

And Buffett's thought on business, ethics, frugality, etc are just amazing as well.

Another thing to keep in mind is what you're saving money (or practicing frugality) for. I want financial independance and that's why I'm saving money. Saving money to spend doesn't sound like a meaningful ideal. On the other hand, if you consider the amount of money you're making/saving as an indication of how much value you are creating, that's another perspective.

So, there's no right or wrong answer to these questions. At 17, you're thinking about/dealing with big issues and I respect that. Keep at it and I hope this helped.

[Snason]

I think it is wrong to only want material things for yourself. How bout wanting material things for others, making others happy?

I live to give, and in return get alot more, more valuable things like happiness, love, trust. Who needs a mass amount of material things, I believe in survival but more then that is wasted space, time and energy that could be put forth helping someone else in need.

Why our world has not evolved as well as it should/could is because all this nonsence about LOA when it comes to materialistic things and people hord it all to themselves. Don't you think that if the world were more giving everyone would have enough to go around, and everyone would be satisfied with how things are.

Wanting for yourself is not Karma filled unless it exceeds the survival limit.

[Parthon]

Like many others have said, it's not the things themselves, it's the desire behind them. The problem with material items is that the want to have the best, latest, fastest or whatever turns into material lust - envy, greed, gluttony. Yuck!

It is possible though to want the material things in order to enable a greater and more wonderful life. You can use money to experience more, to expand who you are and to be more fully alive. There's no doubt that in today's society money can open doors, but it's which doors you open that make the difference.

In the end, if the energy you gain from material items is positive and growth oriented, then there's no reason not to go for it. It's why we are all here, to experience, to grow, and to love.

Btw: I was a "oversized computer nerd with no ambitions", but I've recently finished shedding that skin, I'm just not sure where to go next. Working out lots more is definately on the list though. Thanks for sharing too.

[Bing Wu]

In my experience there's nothing wrong with material things, it's just the way you go about getting them. If you frame your exploits in terms of going out, contributing, connecting with people and making a difference, the material goods will come to you a lot more easily than if you think in terms of getting money and more possessions. The first way of thinking takes a whole breath, breathing out first, and then breathing in. The second way of thinking entails only breathing in, which is obviously unbalanced and doesn't happen as easily.

Plus, the first way feels much, much better. So no, I say, enjoy all the material bounty you want. It's all in how you try to receive it.

[Ninja]

I think it's okay to spend your money on anything you want... as long as you earn the money BEFORE you spend it. When you start buying those fancy gadgets with money you don't have, you will set foot on a dangerous slippery slope. How can you ever become a milionair when you rob your future self and expect him to pay you for it (interest)? I don't think you'll want to go there.

Now, for your goals... if you really want your own business, you'll need some funds to set it up and keep it afloat until you start making a profit. You'll also need an "emergency stash" for when things go badly, both in business and your personal life.

You must ask yourself this: is your spending helping or hurting your goal? Right now, it is hurting, because every dollar you spend, can no longer be put towards your businessfunds. It is possible to have the business and the fancy cars, but a more logical approach would be to first get your business going, make money from it, and spend THAT money on the luxury items you want.

You don't have to feel guilty about wanting to enjoy some of the finer things in life. Just make sure thise finer things don't become your life, and you should be fine.