Acting Out Culture by James S. Miller - Essay Example

People choose what to believe, what to where, where to work, and even the kind of children they would like to have, if they had the authority! This materialism is rated as bad by some academic critiques who believe that the ideal world should be a world where people have few choices, and therefore ‘happy’ lives! But would the economy allow for that? And would the acquisition nature of man and the absolute power of bills set people upon the same path of diversity as we understand? The very fact that nature places want upon a person, reflects the materialistic nature that is man.

Without needs, there is no innovation, no commerce, basically no need to live. It is consumers who drive a market that is controlled by products prepared in the industry. And as such, economy slowly turns on its hinges. Humans are capable of creating their own societies and placing their wants and needs around that society, we can see, in David Brooks assertion, that the society, is getting more and more focused on the individual needs and wants, so much so that the collective thought of diversity in America, is but a dream.

Indeed, in own words, "…human beings are capable of drawing amazingly subtle social distinctions and then shaping their lives around them". It is indeed possible, that individualism is the reason industry thrives, but at what cost? In this essay, we shall see the effects of materialism on the diversity of America. The question is; does this materialistic nature bring people together, or drives them further apart? Quoting Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929), James Twitchell in “Two Cheers for Materialism, attempts to solidify the fact that people in the society are growing further apart as a result of these needs; He asserts says, “If we had fewer choices, we would be happier, there would be less waste and we would accept each other as equals" Though needs provide security in attainment, they are not a source of permanent happiness, and such they incur the creation of classes and clusters, and the need to be at comfort.

Reality is materialism brings with it 'me' that person who so desires to satisfy his own and protect his turf. That person who believes that there is no one better than 'ME!' the individual, created to find solace in no one but himself. In this very belief, it is imputable that the requirement that some society would feel 'Me' better, has effectively led to segregation of the races, professions, and ultimately classes. The crux of the staple is that the desire by people to be around places they fit in has created that vacuum of consideration for other people who hold different professions, skin color, and even opinions.

As such the estates, the cities and the communities in ‘human nature’ have ended up forming, or rather conforming to the desire of ages; to be like someone your own. The hierarchy of needs propelled by Abraham Maslow, puts self-actualization as the highest in satisfaction of man’s desires and needs, and states that if indeed in a lifetime these needs are met, then there is the tendency of creating new needs, to satisfy the arousal of new desires. Man being so consumed by desire has become so\elf centered and choosy with friends and acquaintances, the lack of which render a man useless.

In this sense and with the help of the Bell curve, it is concluded that we, live in absurdly unlikely groupings because we have organized our lives that way. So even though we feel that it is wrong for our children to go to Harvard and yet other children though bright can’t go to college, it is also very important to us to note the presence of such opportunities and bask in their glory, if we can afford it. It follows that the