THE
MATERIAL
SELF
Prepared by:
Estrella L. Ranas
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, students are able to:
● determine what constitute the material self;
● identify what is considered as material possessions;
● get motivated to declutter their material possessions and live a more
focused life.
“Mine”
MATERIAL SELF
➢ pertains to the objects, places, or
even people which have the label
“mine”
➢ made up of everything that a person
owns
➢ extensions of individuals' identities
William James
- The material self is our
body, clothes, immediate
family and home.
BODY
• Our primary possession
• We strive hard to make sure that this
body functions well and good.
• We have preferential attachment or
intimate closeness to certain parts.
• There are parts of our body that we
keep private.
CLOTHES
• A form of self-expression
• reflect how we feel, shows our social status, thus contribute to
forming and maintaining our self-image
• affect our attitude and behavior
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
• our parents, siblings, spouse and children
• What they do or become affects us
• When a family member dies, a part of us dies too
• When their lives are in success, we feel their victories as well
• When they fail, we are put to shame or guilt
• When in disadvantage situation, there is an urgent help
• We think of our family as a replica of our self
HOME
• where many aspects of your life have been developed
• where you feel most comfortable
• is greatly linked to your identity
Your body, clothes,
family, and home are
then followed by other
possessions such as
gadgets, cars,
collections, money,
pets, etc.
“A man’s self is the sum total of all
that he can call his.”
—WILLIAM JAMES, 1890
Material Self
- a reflection of someone’s success or failure
- indicates one’s social status
- will always strive hard to gain more
MATERIALISM "MATERIALISTIC" CONSUMERISM
when you put more • High level of materialism • the consumption of material
importance to material • considers material goods and services in excess of
possessions than intangible possessions to be central to one’s basic needs
values their life and their identity • it encourages people to buy
things that they do not really
need
Material Self
- a reflection of someone’s success or failure
- indicates one’s social status
- will always strive hard to gain more
"SHOPAHOLIC” "SHOPPING "CONSPICUOUS
• a compulsive shopper
ADDICTION" CONSUMPTION”
• someone who shops • also known as the practice of purchasing goods
compulsively and who may compulsive buying disorder or services to publicly display
feel like they have no • characterized by wealth rather than to cover basic
control over their behavior excessive shopping cognitions needs
and buying behavior that leads
to distress or impairment
The rise of online shopping has in many ways
made it more convenient to shop and easier
to become a shopping addict.
Consequences of Materialism:
Debt Low self- Hoarding
esteem
What are Material Possessions?
- Anything that you possess becomes
your property and it is known as a
“material” possession.
- It is something you can touch and keep
safe for as long as you want.
Are Material Possessions
Important?
- draw a line between needs and wants
- Anything that you don’t need and can’t
afford is not important.
- Things we want in life reflect our desires
What Are Examples of Material
Things?
✓ Money
✓ Bags, clothes, shoes, accessories, cosmetics
✓ Gadgets
✓ Eating out
✓ Going to movies, spa, manicure,
✓ Social friends who are not sincere and would
probably leave you when you need them the most
✓ spouse who doesn’t love, value or respect you,
and takes you for granted
✓ An excessive amount of anti-aging products and
cosmetic procedures to defy your age or hide your
flaws
Do Material
Possessions
Bring
Happiness?
Do Material
Possessions
Bring
Happiness?
Learn to differentiate between
things you value and things that
only make you momentarily happy
in order to live a peaceful and
fulfilling life.
What do you think about material
possessions?
Share in the comments below!
THANKS!
Resources:
Material Self. (n.d.). In Alleydog.com's online glossary. Retrieved
from: https://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition-
cit.php?term=Material+Self
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-materialism-22209
https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-26/edition-8/psychology-stuff-and-
things
https://www.minimalismmadesimple.com/home/material-possessions/
CREDITS: This presentation template was created
by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon,
infographics & images by Freepik
