Am I too materialistic?

I’ve been told more than once that I care far too much about material possessions and not nearly enough about people—you know, interpersonal connections. Am I really the only one who doesn't see an object as just an object, but rather as something almost living? Take my car, for instance. I love it. I find myself walking around it several times a day, and honestly, I often just sit in it even when I have nowhere to go. While most people take their belongings for granted, I feel a genuine sense of respect and gratitude toward them. It would all be perfectly fine if I extended that same level of devotion to people, but that’s just not how it works for me. I tend to experience human relationships quite superficially; I struggle to forge deep, intimate bonds. Everything stays at a distance—mostly just occasional outings and social fun. When it comes to driving, I frequently find myself making excuses just so others won't ride along. There is nothing quite like being alone in the car, especially during a late-night drive where it's just me, the machine, and the music. Having a third person in the cabin just disrupts that harmony and ruins the atmosphere.

It’s the same story with money. Whenever I earn a significant amount, I perform what you might call a ritual. I lay all the bills out on the table and express my gratitude for the gift. I thank the money for coming into my life, using the law of attraction and a positive mindset to invite even more prosperity.

To make a long story short, I have several other "rituals" involving various physical items, but these are just a few examples. Is there anyone else out there who shares this kind of relationship with the material world? To most, this probably sounds eccentric, but to me, it feels entirely natural. What I'm wondering is: can a person live long-term this way—loving and tending to their car and their finances more than their own kin? Personally, I don't feel any guilt about it. I do try to cultivate a similar connection with people, but I'm hesitant to let them get too close; I don't like feeling vulnerable, and I certainly don't enjoy being someone else's object of desire.

Hey there, friend!

I honestly think you need to take a hard look at what’s actually driving you here. What is it that keeps pushing you toward this specific lifestyle? Is it some deep-seated fear regarding how other people act, or is it just a pure love for the absolute freedom you've got right now? On the surface, they might look like the same thing, but man, the psychological difference between those two is massive.

You also need to sit down and really weigh out your past, your present, and where you're headed. Where is this path actually taking you—and more importantly, are you actually happy with the destination? If I were in your shoes, I’d tell you to try finding some kind of middle ground between the two, but please, don't just spend your life putting on an act to look "normal" for everyone else.

fadedstag91 said:I’ve been told more than once that I care far too much about material possessions and not nearly enough about people—you know, interpersonal connections. Am I really the only one who doesn't see an object as just an object, but rather as something almost living? Take my car, for instance. I love it. I find myself walking around it several times a day, and honestly, I often just sit in it even when I have nowhere to go. While most people take their belongings for granted, I feel a genuine sense of respect and gratitude toward them. It would all be perfectly fine if I extended that same level of devotion to people, but that’s just not how it works for me. I tend to experience human relationships quite superficially; I struggle to forge deep, intimate bonds. Everything stays at a distance—mostly just occasional outings and social fun. When it comes to driving, I frequently find myself making excuses just so others won't ride along. There is nothing quite like being alone in the car, especially during a late-night drive where it's just me, the machine, and the music. Having a third person in the cabin just disrupts that harmony and ruins the atmosphere.

It’s the same story with money. Whenever I earn a significant amount, I perform what you might call a ritual. I lay all the bills out on the table and express my gratitude for the gift. I thank the money for coming into my life, using the law of attraction and a positive mindset to invite even more prosperity.

To make a long story short, I have several other "rituals" involving various physical items, but these are just a few examples. Is there anyone else out there who shares this kind of relationship with the material world? To most, this probably sounds eccentric, but to me, it feels entirely natural. What I'm wondering is: can a person live long-term this way—loving and tending to their car and their finances more than their own kin? Personally, I don't feel any guilt about it. I do try to cultivate a similar connection with people, but I'm hesitant to let them get too close; I don't like feeling vulnerable, and I certainly don't enjoy being someone else's object of desire.

There's no "fear" involved... With an attitude like that—which is pretty obvious, considering how many people have already chimed in on this [if a few people noticed, it's clearly a pattern]—you aren't exactly going to be anyone's target of desire or whatever. Maybe they'll eventually hit you where it hurts most... in the wallet. You definitely have what it takes to run for office in DC... for sure. And who knows, maybe one day you'll get sick; then you'll pivot... move on... stop caring about the money. Everything is relative. Nothing stays the same.

Look, you say😁 that most people just take material stuff for granted, but I actually have this weird sense of gratitude toward things like that. Honestly, even just saying that makes me think you’re being way too hard on yourself. For most folks out there, money and possessions *are* a big deal—and yeah, maybe that's not ideal, but it's really not the moral crisis you think it is. You should probably take a step back and dig a little deeper—do some soul-searching, look at the "why" behind it all, find the root causes, the fallout, whatever. Just get inside your own head for a second. Did you grow up in a house where money was always tight? Maybe things were a struggle back then, and that's driving this. But don't beat yourself up over it—you can still be a genuinely good person while having an appreciation for nice things. If you flip the script, you could actually see this as a plus—it might give you that drive to climb the corporate ladder, crush it in your career, or finally own your own place. Instead of spiraling, just channel that energy.

...I mean, maybe it’s just because you actually have control over the stuff you own. You can't really pull the strings on people like that, and when that balance slips, everything just feels off. Personally, I've always felt that material things aren't even that deep—at the end of the day, we're all leaving this world empty-handed anyway...