There is quite a big difference between the definition of the word to need and the word to want, which is where the problem arises for most Americans. Simon Patten, a pioneering economist-philosopher of consumption, believed that "the standard of life was based on superfluity: He expected that people would always have more than they need and would never have all they might want" (Hine 17). This feeling of material desire has grown to be apart of our culture because the thought of ownership of the finest materials bring pride upon ourselves. What Americans cannot live with is the idea of just living with the bare necessities of life; it no longer satisfies our hungers of survival. "Each purchase made sense at the time. Many were truly necessary. Some were captivating, giving you that 'I just have to have this' feeling. But added together, they raise the possibility that yours is a lifestyle of excess" (Schor 68). In the eyes of the possession-hungered American, almost everything they want to own is necessary. One may believe that what he or she has possession of will portray the lifestyle of wealth, but in reality a lifestyle of wealth should be the fact that one has the ability to survive in this materialized world.
             What makes America more affluent than other nations is due to our culture of wanting more and more than what is really necessary which is causing over-consumption. Compared to other nations, America produces material wealth on a much larger scale while citizens of other countries are not allowed to keep as much of their earnings (Akst). As lucky as our nation is, it is not quite obvious to Americans, because instead of saving their earnings they rush to the mall and spend more than half of their paycheck on apparels or technology. "The increasing presence of materialism among developed countries disturbs many and has already influenced developing nations as buyers begin t...