Materialism and Maturity

I am under the impression that most of my peers have transcended beyond considering the value of their material possessions in and of themselves very high, if at all elevated. I realize that it's one of those processes of becoming an adult; that the concept of "mine" is quite cumbersome and even on some level naively barbaric. I throw entitlement in general into the same category, but on a different plane, because while it's downright ignorant to feel entitled to replicable objects like televisions or mp3 players (or even physical money, more on this later), it's not so immature to feel entitled to a constitutional right or consciousness or health, because these things are not as easily replaced in the event of their loss or theft.

The other day I had a conversation with Colin about the material possessions that are most important to me, and in this order, they're probably:

1. My Computer
2. My Phone
3. My Car
4. My class notes
5. My textbooks for the current semester
6. My glasses (can't do much without them)
7. My wardrobe

I realized that it isn't so much the objects themselves that mattered to me, but rather, the functions that they served to me that are important.

My computer, while being a collection of metals and semiconductors and magnetic disks and electric circuits that has high monetary value, is also a means through which I communicate, work, and learn. Using my computer is a critical aspect of my education and of my job. And (along with my phone) it's a means through which I communicate to friends, coworkers, peers, as well as stay informed about the world around me. While the data I have on my computer is valuable to me and would be detrimental to me if it fell in the wrong hands, it is not a great concern to me because

• my computer's home folder is encrypted and is completely inaccessible  without my master password, and I can remotely wipe my phone from any computer with a web browser
• most of my valuable emails and all of my contacts are all stored in online servers with Gmail and MobileMe, and my most important documents (school, work) are all backed up 3 times over (Dropbox, MobileMe, and on my physical external backup disk). 
• my music collection is backed up on my physical external disk

I don't have to use this particular computer to continue living my life, my MacBook Pro is merely a conduit through which I access and use this data, and my phone is merely a conduit through which I access my peers and family, and the internet.

My car is merely a means for me to get from place to another, to get to the grocery store and back, and to help me move my stuff when I travel. It's a means for me to pick my little brother up from school if I have to, or pick up a stranded friend. If I were to get my car stolen or if it were to crash, insurance would probably cover a good portion of the replacement cost, and as long as I had my own life and health I could live on without it for a while. It is a task for which most automobiles are suited, and mine isn't particularly special. My newly acquired bike could help me get around in the meantime.

That being said, the aforementioned possessions are not entirely easy to replace for me even if I could continue without them (but the point is that they are replaceable), so I take great care to maintain my car and computer and my phone, not abusing them. That's why they're at the top of my list.

The loss of my class notes and textbooks would be detrimental to my semester and my education, which is one of the things I value the most that isn't a material possession of mine. However, I have digital copies of most of my books and I've been scanning most of my notes, which are digitally backed up online and elsewhere. However, looking at it in a conduit perspective, my notes are merely a means through which I attain that education.

My wardrobe is simply a means to keep myself warm and not naked, and to look professional in the workplace and in interviews. While the monetary worth of my wardrobe is probably significant, for the most part, clothes are clothes. It doesn't make me a better or more admirable person that my jacket or coat is from a particular store. The cotton that a shirt is made out of doesn't clothe me any less when I buy it on sale than when I pay full price. While my particular wardrobe is probably irreplaceable, the function that it serves can be fulfilled by any wardrobe. It doesn't matter where I bought my wallet or my shoes, it just matters that it can hold my money and that my shoes keep my feet from getting frostbite. I don't subscribe to fashion magazines for a reason, these things are irrelevant; I don't need a bunch of other people (who benefit from me buying clothes) telling me how I should dress.

I could continue with any number of material possessions I have (I try not to own useless things), but my point is that these objects are worthless to me irrespective of their function. While I've taken time out of my day for this tirade against materialism, I must acknowledge that as an engineer, I'm biased to value the functions of material possessions over other properties. Aesthetic considerations are for the most part, inconsequential to me.

"Like I say, money has no value, it's just how you spend it." 

—Jason Compson IV, The Sound and the Fury

It just seems to me that bragging or discussing these other properties ('well I have this kind of car', 'look at this brand of jacket that I just got', 'your brand is inferior to my brand because of xyz irrelevant properties') is just a stuck-up egotistical outlet that reeks of a 7-year old yelling 'hey, look at me, I'm important because of what I have, not because of what I can do'. It disgusts me. It's a shallow misconception that should be remedied in kids as soon as possible.