Heroes Not Zombies

Here’s an interesting piece of research for this time of year….it’s one of several publications which show that buying stuff isn’t that good for you!

If you’re a materialistic individual and life suddenly takes a wrong turn, you’re going to have a tougher time recovering from that setback than someone who is less materialistic

It’s pretty easy to find research which shows you materialistic values are stronger in people with low self-esteem, and that what people who have these values do when they are stressed is find materialistic coping strategies……you’ll have heard of “retail therapy”. This particular piece of research looks at how this world view and coping mechanism affects recovery from stressful events.

In times of stress, people often seek solace through shopping,” he said. “The idea here is that we need some form of a cultural-based coping mechanism, because the research suggests that there is actually a short-term fix with retail therapy. Soon after purchasing something, there is a reduction of anxiety. But it doesn’t last very long. It’s fleeting. Materialists seek that as one of their coping mechanisms. And Black Friday and the holiday shopping season play into that

I think this issue relates to more complex, underlying factors but it does highlight the issue of how values and how we see the world influences our coping strategies and that not all coping strategies are equal.

I’ve read a number of other works which make it clear that experiences are more powerful than things when looking at their impact on happiness. In other words, spending a good time with someone contributes more to the happiness of the participants than spending in a shop. Retail therapy just isn’t that therapeutic!