崇尚物質的態度或思想就是materialism(實利主義)，而形容詞是materialistic，a materialistic person是崇尚物質的人。
牛津字典對materialism的定義是："devotion to material needs and desires, to the neglect of spiritual matters; a way of life, opinion or tendency based entirely on material interest"，一種過度注重物質，甚至認為物質就是一切的態度。
      不斷追求物質不會帶來真正的快樂。在美國有關消費者行為的研究中，大部分人都說明白這點，並表示覺得與家人朋友的關係才是生命中最重要的。但大家卻依然無節制地消費購物。
      大學教授James Roberts在Shiny Objects - Why We Spend Money We Don't Have in Search of Happiness We Can't Buy中，敘述這種行為與說法相反的現象：
      When asked what we really care about and what we consider to be the most life-giving elements of our existence(存在), the vast majority of people respond in terms of the lasting value(耐久的價值) we place on our relationship with family and friends. And yet our consumer behavior contradicts such professed(口說的) values.

      消費追求欲罷不能
      Contradict是與……矛盾。是大家口不對心，抑或有其他因素令我們對物質的追求欲罷不能呢？現今我們身處的又是怎樣的一個消費文化？
      Our current consumer culture(消費文化) is best understood as an environment in which the majority of consumers avidly(貪婪地) desire, pursue, consume, and display goods and services that are valued for non-utilitarian(非實用的) reasons such as status(地位), envy, provocative(刺激的), and pleasure seeking.
      買食物、生活必需品，是有實用價值的貨品。只有兩座位的名貴跑車、鑽戒首飾，就是James Roberts所指的non-utilitarian消費品。消費的過程，是desire(渴望)、pursue(追求)、consume(購買)和display(展示)。千辛萬苦省吃儉用換來的物品，最終的目的是展示給別人看。

      孩子多看電視功利
      The emergence of a worldwide consumer culture has potentially severe consequence for everyone ... even if you don't practice or espouse materialistic ideals, you are affected by others' pursuit of them.
      Espouse是擁護、支持、信奉。生活在這種消費文化中，就算你不是個崇尚物質主義的人，遲早或多或少都會受到周遭的人的行為影響，很難獨善其身。
      有學說認為materialism是性格的其中主要一環，受基於幼年的經驗影響很深。原來多看電視的人會比較materialistic。有心理學研究發現，八至十二歲的孩子多看電視就會物慾高。禁止看電視很難，就算做得到也不能完全解決問題，因為還有家人和朋友的影響："Materialist mothers are more likely to have materialistic children."
      要走出黑洞，明白行為背後的影響因素是第一步，學會自制才是真正的辦法。Shiny Objects - Why We Spend Money We Don't Have in Search of Happiness We Can't Buy提供有用的self-control方法。

      文︰子慧