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Article: The Limits Of Materialism: Abundance breeds anxiety because it increases freedom. Self-expression can become self-indulgence.(Business)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Newsweek
- Article date:
- May 15, 2000
- Author:
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American history abounds with apparent contradictions, but few loom as large as this: we are a people wedded simultaneously to materialism and spirituality, mostly (though not exclusively) religious. In a recent Gallup poll, 61 percent of Americans said religion is "very important" in their lives. This same nation, of course, has now unleashed history's greatest acquisitive binge. From 1995 through 1999, Americans have purchased (among other things) 77 million cars and light trucks, almost 8 million new homes, 57 million personal computers and 64 million mobile phones.
The contradiction shapes our culture. Merrill Lynch reported last week that the number of ...