“Most of the young men of talent whom I have met in this country give one the impression of being somewhat demented. Why shouldn't they? They are living amidst spiritual gorillas, living with food and drink maniacs, success-mongers, gadget innovators, publicity hounds. God, if I were a young man today, if I were faced with a world such as we have created, I would blow my brains out.” ― Henry Miller, The Air-Conditioned Nightmare
I wana use my talent to make it big, to make the big bucks, to become a Somebody who knows Somebodies! This has always been America's Great Gatsby Religion, which is why I admire Jewish culture's appreciation for art, ironic humor, and maybe learning how to play cello with friends in a chamber music pick up group.
I’ve always felt that our consumer culture was vapid and nihilistic. When I try to express these ideas to family and friends they look at me like I have two heads. It’s validating to hear someone smart articulate what I’ve been feeling for so long. I’ll surely pass these lectures on to my friends and family!
Its part of why I live in Alaska, not to say it doesn't exist here, it's simply easier to escape from. People don't get it until they see it up here. I will take -40 over living in the lower 48 because of the culture and freedom here. It's not easy to live up here, but it is most certainly a higher quality of live in the sense of purpose in life.
A bloke from central Europe here. I have occasionally watched the storage wars on TV, and it's kind of awkward to watch, because I have not seen a single storage container in my life. They are not a thing in my country and most of Europe. People with houses might store their belongings in attics and basements (most houses here have at least one of those), but most people live in apartment blocks. So we really must be consuming less. I find it interesting that the video mentions that our GDP per capita for consumption is lower in Europe. This is related to something that sounds alarming for us in the EU. Many people here are panicking because the difference in GDP per capita between the US and the EU is widening, in favour of the US of course and we should consider our social structure. But if this difference is predominately due to the fact that we consume less and are still just as happy or even happier, then it does not matter. So I wonder how other listeners would comment on this difference in GDP per capita and whether we should be worried. (Personally, I am not sure and I do not claim that either of the two possibilities is the right one.) One final note: in large parts of Europe, it is completely normal and even predominant for one to live in a comfortable flat in the city, not own a car and use public transport and the bicycle as your only means of transport, despite having a driving licence. I am one of those guys. So the last part of the video sounds completely relateable to me.
The most interesting part of this lecture is that I have a completely different understanding of materialism. To me, it is the weltanschauung that makes do without soul or spiritual qualities.
My older sister died in 2013 at the age of 37. I am in the middle of 3 kids. After she died, my (boomer frat-boy) dad completely gave up on his family. He spends his days and money since then trying to absorb as much luxury as possible is his little state of solipsism. Our family has all but died off...and he has no shame at all.
My father is exactly what you mentioned in a strikingly similar situation. My brother just passed from a “ death of despair” as they call it. 38. Literally said the sentence “ the masters family died with Anthony!” You’re not alone Massive virtual hug to you and you’re young.
This, I feel, is the quintessential problem facing the younger generations currently: the lack of understanding of themselves. So many people I see aimlessly moving through life, not understanding why they make the decisions they do. They either follow what social norms have told them is good, or what their parents think is best for them, rather than considering what the individual thinks. I honestly struggle to see how this approach to life can be beneficial to anyone's mental health or well-being. When the materialistic facade has been pulled down, and all you're left with is an empty husk of nihilism, you're going to see in full that you should have cultivated your garden a little more; developed a system or plan for your life that fulfills your goals. Remove from yourself the prejudices of those who do not know you, and carve out a path which you deem correct for your situation. There's an ancient Latin proverb which says, "They who read well master the ages." Learn enough to feel confident in your opinions on the world and what you value in it. This is, I believe, one of many approaches which one can create to navigate this "meaning crisis," as John Vervaeke puts it. Excellent video on such an important topic!
That's still a self-oriented approach. The most effective response to the meaning crisis I have been able to find is to find a community larger than yourself, integrate into that community, and help other people. Forget yourself.
Well done, but you missed the ongoing, four decade long and counting, slow death of the middle class. The materialistic American dream has become unattainable or unsustainable for the majority. 85% of Americans say they are sinking economically. The dream is dying, in part, of necessity. That accelerates the questioning of it.
In the post war period most people did not decide against communism. The American government decided against communism, purged communists from it's own politics and media, and backed the mass killing of communists and socialists abroad (See The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins). Although I haven't done the math, between the Soviet Union, China, Eastern Europe, and various other countries the number of people living under communism was at least comparable to, if not greater than the number living under bourgeois democracy, although if we factor in US allied authoritarian capitalist regimes, the total number under capitalism may be greater.
Question: What comes next? God is dead, aristocracy is dead, land isn't abundant and materialistic identity is dying. What fills this void? On a lighter note, what worthwile & functional product do you recommend us to purchase? I bought a shoe horn a month ago in paris and it has changed my life for the better! :) Thanks Wes, Thanks Jeremy
While I don't agree with everything, I can certainly believe that Nihilistic Materialism is behind a lot of unnecessary suffering in our society. Your point about buying horses was a good example. The amount of people who purchase horses just for the thrill of buying one or the prestige of having a horse is astounding. These horses often face horrendous abuse and neglect once the thrill wears off and the realization that they take considerable amounts of both time and money to care for sets in.
‼️ On population overshoot. “It is human nature to “…intensify our exploitation of fossil fuels, metals, and non-metallic minerals in order to perpetuate our industrial lifestyle paradigm for as long as possible… Paradoxically, the more vigorously we strive to perpetuate our unsustainable industrialized way of life… the more quickly and thoroughly we will deplete Earth’s remaining non-renewable and renewable reserves, thereby hastening and exacerbating our global societal collapse.”
I have loved your videos for a while now and have gained much from them. However, I'd like more clarity here. The explanatory narrative in this video is convincing enough, but how do we know if there is any predictive power to this type of analysis? Sure, a lot of material causes materialism. But are there different outcomes that you might have predicted from the same exact set of circumstances? (E.g. an abundance of natural resources leading to an unambitious population who can then focus on non-material matters) Are there other cultures that act as counterexamples?
Perhaps I want to join a group and outfit myself in their style because we live in a society that leaves us all feeling, unconsciously, insignificant. For centuries we were expected to live up to impossible religious ideals and were moralistically shamed when we couldn't. Now the fashion industry shames us if we aren't wearing the 'in' style, a secularized, dynamic version of the same manipulative game that keeps us passive, herdable, pliable, and milks us for bucks, paying for the latest duds. p.s. And doesn't everything marketed imply that you're a winner if you buy this and a looser if you don't? That shaming again, that vulnerablility. And don't I endlessly need again the "winner" product hit?
its quite funny, because your description of the movei theatre reminded me of china which i visited recently. never been to the usa, going next year haha
By HP Lovecraft. 🫴 "The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age."
shouldnt this be called "religious" materialism? certainly the consumerist behaviour is based on a material mindset, but the focus on material means its not nihilistic. its often called nihlistic because its contrasted with faith or non other non material pursuits, but this is misplaced. what we have been seeing during the peak of phyiscal wealth is _religious_ materlialism! 36:34, 45:16 here it is explained: consuming is a _moral_ good!
Can you please add more visual interest to your videos? I like listening and at the same time would like visuals to highlight your comments. Thank you.
Reductionist. I don't think catholicism or other christian denominations are as inclined to this world-view as protestantism. Atomizing society is at the root of all this.
Hello sir! I'd like to hear your views on the Olympic opening ceremony in France. I heard in some of your recent videos that you've recently moved to France. Do you pay attention to the satanic/cabalistic aspect of left-liberal degeneracy or do you just ignore it and go on with your good day!
dude ..... if you are talking about things you own is best to say consumerism or nihilistic consumerism ...... materialism is a whole field of thinking
Exactly, when we go through the peculiarity of americas geography and timeline of its creation you realize that the forces of time go in the direction of a perceptual experience of the world wich focus material well being in a totally new way for milliona of people. I remenber reading mason and dixon by thomas pynchon where they traveo through america defining borders and geographical (materialism) limits in few years where in the past that amount of land was defined through centuries wich was a peculiar sense that the book gave me about america
@@rafaelfonsecaaugusto3438 Dude ..... Materialism is a method of analysis and thinking based on the work of Karl Marx and Friederich Engels ..... It is not consumerism, it is not structuralism, it is not cartography.....do not make up meanings of a well established school of thought. If we don't agree even on what the words mean then why bother speak to each other? And fuck the United States.
“Most of the young men of talent whom I have met in this country give one the impression of being somewhat demented. Why shouldn't they? They are living amidst spiritual gorillas, living with food and drink maniacs, success-mongers, gadget innovators, publicity hounds. God, if I were a young man today, if I were faced with a world such as we have created, I would blow my brains out.”
― Henry Miller, The Air-Conditioned Nightmare
Great quote. I feel that.
I wana use my talent to make it big, to make the big bucks, to become a Somebody who knows Somebodies! This has always been America's Great Gatsby Religion, which is why I admire Jewish culture's appreciation for art, ironic humor, and maybe learning how to play cello with friends in a chamber music pick up group.
@@chrisdiver6224 The J's have destroyed culture...
I’ve always felt that our consumer culture was vapid and nihilistic. When I try to express these ideas to family and friends they look at me like I have two heads. It’s validating to hear someone smart articulate what I’ve been feeling for so long. I’ll surely pass these lectures on to my friends and family!
Christian Nation!
Its part of why I live in Alaska, not to say it doesn't exist here, it's simply easier to escape from. People don't get it until they see it up here. I will take -40 over living in the lower 48 because of the culture and freedom here. It's not easy to live up here, but it is most certainly a higher quality of live in the sense of purpose in life.
Thank you, Wes, your lectures are a rich source of thought-provoking material in the ever-dessicating virtual desert of information
A bloke from central Europe here. I have occasionally watched the storage wars on TV, and it's kind of awkward to watch, because I have not seen a single storage container in my life. They are not a thing in my country and most of Europe. People with houses might store their belongings in attics and basements (most houses here have at least one of those), but most people live in apartment blocks. So we really must be consuming less.
I find it interesting that the video mentions that our GDP per capita for consumption is lower in Europe. This is related to something that sounds alarming for us in the EU. Many people here are panicking because the difference in GDP per capita between the US and the EU is widening, in favour of the US of course and we should consider our social structure. But if this difference is predominately due to the fact that we consume less and are still just as happy or even happier, then it does not matter. So I wonder how other listeners would comment on this difference in GDP per capita and whether we should be worried. (Personally, I am not sure and I do not claim that either of the two possibilities is the right one.)
One final note: in large parts of Europe, it is completely normal and even predominant for one to live in a comfortable flat in the city, not own a car and use public transport and the bicycle as your only means of transport, despite having a driving licence. I am one of those guys. So the last part of the video sounds completely relateable to me.
I gained a lot of comfort from this lecture. Thank you.
What a great lecture, Wes. Thank you. Wonderful to listen to as I play my guitar on a cool summer night.
What a cozy starter home.
Thank you for keeping ad free. Another superb talk. I’ve never heard our perdicament in the United States expressed so logically and soundly.
Thanks for Your Lectures they have really helped my worldview throughout the years
Thanks Wes. Love your lectures!
Fantastic insight
The most interesting part of this lecture is that I have a completely different understanding of materialism. To me, it is the weltanschauung that makes do without soul or spiritual qualities.
I love listening to your lectures
My older sister died in 2013 at the age of 37. I am in the middle of 3 kids. After she died, my (boomer frat-boy) dad completely gave up on his family. He spends his days and money since then trying to absorb as much luxury as possible is his little state of solipsism. Our family has all but died off...and he has no shame at all.
My father is exactly what you mentioned in a strikingly similar situation. My brother just passed from a “ death of despair” as they call it. 38. Literally said the sentence “ the masters family died with Anthony!”
You’re not alone
Massive virtual hug to you and you’re young.
@@brendonmasters It's not really a family, is it?
@@mpeters220 once In a while you’ll get the shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right
Excellent observation
The garage ceilings look a little low for my needs. The guest house and servants’ quarters are just out of frame I assume? 🧐😂
Fantastic podcast
This, I feel, is the quintessential problem facing the younger generations currently: the lack of understanding of themselves. So many people I see aimlessly moving through life, not understanding why they make the decisions they do. They either follow what social norms have told them is good, or what their parents think is best for them, rather than considering what the individual thinks. I honestly struggle to see how this approach to life can be beneficial to anyone's mental health or well-being. When the materialistic facade has been pulled down, and all you're left with is an empty husk of nihilism, you're going to see in full that you should have cultivated your garden a little more; developed a system or plan for your life that fulfills your goals. Remove from yourself the prejudices of those who do not know you, and carve out a path which you deem correct for your situation. There's an ancient Latin proverb which says, "They who read well master the ages." Learn enough to feel confident in your opinions on the world and what you value in it. This is, I believe, one of many approaches which one can create to navigate this "meaning crisis," as John Vervaeke puts it.
Excellent video on such an important topic!
That's still a self-oriented approach. The most effective response to the meaning crisis I have been able to find is to find a community larger than yourself, integrate into that community, and help other people. Forget yourself.
It's awful and creates degenerates....I really hate what America has become.
Well done, but you missed the ongoing, four decade long and counting, slow death of the middle class. The materialistic American dream has become unattainable or unsustainable for the majority. 85% of Americans say they are sinking economically. The dream is dying, in part, of necessity. That accelerates the questioning of it.
In the post war period most people did not decide against communism. The American government decided against communism, purged communists from it's own politics and media, and backed the mass killing of communists and socialists abroad (See The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins). Although I haven't done the math, between the Soviet Union, China, Eastern Europe, and various other countries the number of people living under communism was at least comparable to, if not greater than the number living under bourgeois democracy, although if we factor in US allied authoritarian capitalist regimes, the total number under capitalism may be greater.
Question:
What comes next?
God is dead, aristocracy is dead, land isn't abundant and materialistic identity is dying. What fills this void?
On a lighter note, what worthwile & functional product do you recommend us to purchase? I bought a shoe horn a month ago in paris and it has changed my life for the better! :)
Thanks Wes, Thanks Jeremy
Look around. Politics.
God’s not dead
While I don't agree with everything, I can certainly believe that Nihilistic Materialism is behind a lot of unnecessary suffering in our society. Your point about buying horses was a good example. The amount of people who purchase horses just for the thrill of buying one or the prestige of having a horse is astounding. These horses often face horrendous abuse and neglect once the thrill wears off and the realization that they take considerable amounts of both time and money to care for sets in.
The reason they don't sell food and merchandise at French cinemas is that the French won't buy it
‼️ On population overshoot. “It is human nature to “…intensify our exploitation of fossil fuels, metals, and non-metallic minerals in order to perpetuate our industrial lifestyle paradigm for as long as possible… Paradoxically, the more vigorously we strive to perpetuate our unsustainable industrialized way of life… the more quickly and thoroughly we will deplete Earth’s remaining non-renewable and renewable reserves, thereby hastening and exacerbating our global societal collapse.”
I have loved your videos for a while now and have gained much from them. However, I'd like more clarity here. The explanatory narrative in this video is convincing enough, but how do we know if there is any predictive power to this type of analysis? Sure, a lot of material causes materialism. But are there different outcomes that you might have predicted from the same exact set of circumstances? (E.g. an abundance of natural resources leading to an unambitious population who can then focus on non-material matters) Are there other cultures that act as counterexamples?
F S Fitzgerald wrote expressively of the high materialism of Jay Gatsby’s parties. But, they were all for the ideal of the love of Daisy.
Perhaps I want to join a group and outfit myself in their style because we live in a society that leaves us all feeling, unconsciously, insignificant. For centuries we were expected to live up to impossible religious ideals and were moralistically shamed when we couldn't. Now the fashion industry shames us if we aren't wearing the 'in' style, a secularized, dynamic version of the same manipulative game that keeps us passive, herdable, pliable, and milks us for bucks, paying for the latest duds.
p.s. And doesn't everything marketed imply that you're a winner if you buy this and a looser if you don't? That shaming again, that vulnerablility. And don't I endlessly need again the "winner" product hit?
its quite funny, because your description of the movei theatre reminded me of china which i visited recently. never been to the usa, going next year haha
Crank the mic up a couple notches, please?🙏
Great picture n lecture.👍
Nieztche. Create your own value you don't need anyone else...
Is that your house, Wes?
By HP Lovecraft. 🫴
"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age."
I could understand if there were subtitles. This way i only understand some words.
shouldnt this be called "religious" materialism? certainly the consumerist behaviour is based on a material mindset, but the focus on material means its not nihilistic. its often called nihlistic because its contrasted with faith or non other non material pursuits, but this is misplaced. what we have been seeing during the peak of phyiscal wealth is _religious_ materlialism! 36:34, 45:16 here it is explained: consuming is a _moral_ good!
Hmm, kinda agree. But then we could argue about what kind of religiosity we talking about. I could see it as negative-religion (or inverse religion).
Narcissistic materialism grows the GDP. What's more important than that?
Can you please add more visual interest to your videos? I like listening and at the same time would like visuals to highlight your comments. Thank you.
Christian greed would have been a shorter video.
Reductionist. I don't think catholicism or other christian denominations are as inclined to this world-view as protestantism. Atomizing society is at the root of all this.
Hello sir! I'd like to hear your views on the Olympic opening ceremony in France. I heard in some of your recent videos that you've recently moved to France. Do you pay attention to the satanic/cabalistic aspect of left-liberal degeneracy or do you just ignore it and go on with your good day!
dude ..... if you are talking about things you own is best to say consumerism or nihilistic consumerism ...... materialism is a whole field of thinking
Exactly, when we go through the peculiarity of americas geography and timeline of its creation you realize that the forces of time go in the direction of a perceptual experience of the world wich focus material well being in a totally new way for milliona of people. I remenber reading mason and dixon by thomas pynchon where they traveo through america defining borders and geographical (materialism) limits in few years where in the past that amount of land was defined through centuries wich was a peculiar sense that the book gave me about america
@@rafaelfonsecaaugusto3438 Dude ..... Materialism is a method of analysis and thinking based on the work of Karl Marx and Friederich Engels ..... It is not consumerism, it is not structuralism, it is not cartography.....do not make up meanings of a well established school of thought. If we don't agree even on what the words mean then why bother speak to each other? And fuck the United States.
I gained a lot of comfort from this lecture. Thank you.