I want to start by asking a question: Is our society mainly focused on material things, or not focused enough? you see,  I think about this particular question a lot.

But first of all let's remind ourselves about what the word "materialistic" refers to.

When we hear "materialistic", we can begin thinking negative - someone that only cares about  phones, money, or even clothes. But is that the whole truth?

Let us look at both sides.

The Bad Side of Being Materialistic.

When society becomes too materialistic, people start measuring their value by what they own. A student is judged by his iPhone, not his intelligence. A young person feels like a failure because he does not have a car at 20. This creates pressure, envy, and even depression. We see this a lot on social media in Nigeria - everyone wants to show they have made it.

Too much materialism can also make us to forget the more important things like our family, kindness we show towards others, and peace of mind we have in ourselves.

The Other Side People Ignore.

But let us be honest. Some level of materialism drives progress.

Wanting a better house makes you work harder. Wanting good clothes makes you take your appearance serious. Wanting to earn more can push a student like me to learn skills, write on Publish0x, and become independent.

If nobody wanted material things, many inventions would not exist. Nobody would build better phones, better roads, better hospitals. Material desire, when controlled, is motivation.

*So, does society need to be MORE materialistic?*

I don't think so. I think society needs to be MORE BALANCED.

We need to want material things, but not worship them. We should work hard for money, but also know when to say "this is enough". We should enjoy good things, but not use them to judge other people's worth.

A good society is not one where everyone is poor and pretending to be holy, and it is not one where everyone is rich and miserable. It is one where people have enough, and still have heart.

So let me leave you guys with a question to think about.....

What do you think? Should we chase more material things, or should we chase more meaning?

Thanks for participating.