Greater Good

The GGSC's coverage of gratitude is sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation as part of our Expanding Gratitude project.

We’ve survived Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber-Monday—and for some of us, the holiday shopping has only just begun.  All this shopping, and the materialism it fosters, doesn’t make us happy.

Materialistic folks tend to be dissatisfied with their lives, have low self-esteem, be less integrated into their community, find less meaning in life, and be less concerned about the welfare of others. 

Materialistic kids don’t do as well in school, and are at greater risk for depression, anxiety, and unhappiness; they are less inclined to connect to and help others in their neighborhood and community.

So how can the holidays possibly be happy with all the prompts to think materialistic thoughts and the push to buy, buy, buy?

There’s good news: When we practice gratitude, we can stave off the emotional dangers of the materialism that the December holidays bring. Read the rest of this post to find out how and why. 

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© 2011 Christine Carter, Ph.D.

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