The Control of Economics and Materialism Over Our Lives

Money. Popularity. Wants and Needs. Fashion. Supply and Demand. Scarcity. Materialism. These are all important aspects of your life. You may not realize it, but they control everything that you do.

The invisible hand controls everything. Everything. Everything that you do, it is just really the invisible hand pulling the strings behind the curtain. The invisible hand is the puppetmaster, and you are the puppet, helpless and forced to obey every whim of your master. Adam Smith first came up with the idea of the invisible hand to describe the free market, and how it influences everything we do. And like he said, "Man is led by the invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of his society!" This shows that the invisible hand is good, too, how self-interest can serve the common good and how it ends up with both consumer and producer satisfied.

Everyone has scarcity, the limit of things a person can buy. Everyone has limited resources. No matter if you are poor or rich, black or white, a woman or a man, everybody has scarcity. Everyone has a limit, everyone runs out of money eventually, even Bill Gates. And with your money, no matter how much of it you have, you have to spend it wisely. And to spend your money wisely, you need to think about wants and needs. For example, food, clothing, shelter, and water are all needs. You absolutely need these to survive. The newest album or videogame, the cool skateboard you want for your birthday, are all wants. You have to get your needs before your wants, if you want to survive.

You have no idea how much materialism controls your life. Wherever you are, it is always there, ready to pounce, ready to strike, ready to exploit your weaknesses. Whether it may be a new pair of shoes or an extra-thick chocolate milkshake, it is all the same. You only have to look at the logos all around you to see what I am talking about. Materialism is objects, things. Wouldn't you like to have a life where actually living human beings are your main source of concentration? Would you rather have your life controlled by the newest phone and your best friend be Siri or interact like a good little human being? Let me give you a little time to think about that. (Jeopardy music) Okay, I'm sure that you would have picked the latter answer. If you did, then you were right! Well, if you can resist the temptation of materialism, then maybe you might even live a worthwhile life! Think about that!

When there is more supply, the item is less rare and less valuable because there is more supply, which makes less people want it and more people have it so less people want it, too. When there is more demand, there is less supply because the supply is given to the people that want it, and demand goes up even more because there is less supply and that makes it more valuable and rare, which makes even more people want it. Also, lower prices make demand higher, but decreases profit. You need to find the right compromise to be a successful and good businessman.

Adam Smith says that self-interest is what motivates people. And he should know, given being the grandfather of modern economic theory and capitalism and all. And I think he's right, but in a different way. Most girls are motivated by fashion and getting the new 'hottest stuff", which are types of self-interest. One example is that in a survey of 17-year-olds, 2 years away from college, 57% said they are saving for clothes compared to a lowly 54% that are saving for college! Simply appalling! Most boys are motivated by the incentive of being the best and getting respected. It all boils down to one thing: popularity. An average student is mostly motivated by popularity, having power in a society. Different things are muddled and mixed in with popularity, like money. Money affects people: how they carry themselves, what other people think of them. Having a lot of money probably would make you popular because you could get all the new 'hottest stuff', like a new nail color from the best brand or a cool baseball bat. Some people will actually become your friend because you have money. It's dreadfully rotten. Economics are a huge part in any person's life, whether it makes your life miserable if you are poor, or you are surrounded by it if you are rich. Economics surround you whenever you buy a new pair of shoes or eat a hamburger, even when you are walking in your house. You may not realize it, but economics surround your whole life, changing it and warping it to fit its delusional dream of a 'perfect' world. Sleep well tonight.

Economics and materialism control and influence your life, among other things. Before Adam Smith, people thought that everything they do was completely their decision and nothing affected it. Adam Smith proved them wrong by showing them the aspects that influence them every day, in their daily lives. These aspects have always been there and always will be there, for good or bad. You can let them sway your every decision, or you can break free of their hold and live a free, and in my opinion, happier life. No matter what you choose, they are always there. You can just walk down the street, and you would see several examples of them, like the cars in the street speeding past or the stoplight blinking red overhead, or even the clothes on your body. You can't escape them, but maybe, just maybe, you can use them to your advantage.