Chasing After Materials

Recently, Apple just released iPhone 14 and it immediately got the attention of every Apple user. It is not strange to see everyone quickly pre-ordered the newest iPhone. When iPhone 14 is on the market, well, it is like a big storm that swept away all the Apple stores around the world. The customers can wait in a long line for hours to get their new iPhone to show with other people around. Or right now, we are living in a world of social media and the influence of TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram is undeniable. Only one video from a famous KOL (Key Opinion Leader) that talks good about a product, trust me, that product will be the best-selling one. After having the newest iPhone, the very first thing everyone does is posting on social media to express their excitement and their level of spending money. But owning a new iPhone is not because it is the newest model with new versions, cool cameras, or interesting features. Come on, who will need to pay attention to those? They buy the new iPhone because they want to follow up with the time, with everyone, and chase after the materials. This means that others people have it, but we also need to have it. And it is a real problem nowadays in society.

I just want to use the new iPhone as an example of what it means of chasing after materials. In our daily life, many of us have thinking like this. When we see someone with an expensive handbag, wearing the newest designs from luxury brands on their bodies, or going on social media to show a limited edition of a product that is very hard to get, it immediately inside us creates a sense of jealousy and by any chance or any price, we must have what they have we cannot lose in front them. Of course, many people can get it easily because they make a lot of money. But with people who cannot make as much money as others can, chasing after those materials is one way of destroying their lives because why do they have to do that meanwhile they have so many things to focus on? They dare to give up eating, save money, and do crazy things in order to get money to please those materials.

I even read a story from Vietnam. There was a guy who wanted to purchase a new iPhone and he sold his kidney to get money. In the end, he got the iPhone he wanted but the price that he had to pay was much more expensive than he thought, and he caught some types of disease related to the kidney, and now, he is carrying it for the rest of his life. His parents had to take care of him. After I read that story, I thought it was so dumb and worth nothing.

Let's say we had that luxury stuff in our hands and we use it. But how long will we be loyal to those things? Seriously, many of us will only wear it once and then, put it back in the closet. Or when we have the newest iPhone in our hands, we will want the next one when it is released. It is like a circle. More is never enough for us.

Chasing after materials is one way to make us want to be the same as other people around. If they have it, we must have it. Even though the price is high up to the sky. We soon become slaves of those materials and money. In our daily lives, there are so many things we need to worry about. Every kind of bills, credit, debts, or simply, just buying food, gas, or personal items. Spending a lot of money on those materials with only one purpose to make our lives like other people's lives or try to make us look better in everyone's eyes is not worth it and stupid.

I always believe we are the best version of ourselves and that no one can do better than we do. I am sure out there, many people are desperate to have our lives or want to be like us. That is something we should be proud of. We don't need to chase after materials like others. All need to do is show others what we are good at, our talents, and our achievements because we are the best. Material is just stuff, not bringing us any happiness. What impacts we make in life which perhaps can lighten up the burden of anyone else is the most important thing ever and that is happiness.