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Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
4,409 posts, read 6,540,027 times
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Honestly this is not much of a fair question. To answer it is to color an entire state of people with one brush.
How "materialistic" you are is something that varies by the individual, not necessarily the point of origin.
Sure, people can be influenced by the level of advertising and free cash they grow up with, but that still does not guarantee a petty or genuine personality.
Generally, poorer people are less "materialistic" and richer people are moreso. However, there a lot of poor people who are resentful, bitter and unpleasant and a lot of wealthier people who are genuine folks who happened to have or earn good money. You can't assume things will always be as you expect them to.
As somebody who grew up in American poverty, I know this kind of topic is often just a way to vent at "rich people", or in some southern cases, rag on the damn Yankees. I feel you, I've been there before; but the truth is just about everybody in the first world is "materialistic" to some degree. Consumer culture is American culture, and if you had more money you'd likely be part of it too. Just don't get carried away with it and you'll be fine, it's not inherently negative to collect movies or want a nice coat.
Consumerism =/= bad person.
Purchasing something for entertainment =/= Materialistic.
Valuing yourself and others based on frivolous goods = Materialistic.
It’s the human condition and nature to have a social hierarchy of ‘The Wants’ versus ‘The Needs’, etc. in any community, neighborhood, country, region, state, etc. Curious as to how you came to be so exposed to a culture that goes against your values enough to make you want to move away and if there are any remedies available that would be less burdensome to you. (i.e.: seek out other social circles that align more with your values) If you otherwise like the area for its other positive features, are they valuable enough to find your way through and stay? {Sigh} Moving can be such a pain!
Western NY.
The PA Wilds. Wealthy people will buy rustic off grid hunting cabins in the Wilds vs TN/NC where the McCabins are 3 story HGTV second homes.
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Moving Away?
