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Materialism and Symbolic Self-Completion
Much of what is colloquially referred to as the “mid-life crisis” can be explained by the theory of symbolic self completion. Symbolic self-completion holds that when individuals feel their identities are uncertain or threatened, or when they feel insecure in but committed to an identity, they are more likely to value symbols, such as possessions, that reinforce those identities. A classic example of the mid-life crisis, the 40-year old man who buys a red sports car, exemplifies this characteristic. He becomes unsure if he has made the right choices in his life, if he’s in the right career, so he counters his insecurity by purchasing a material object that functions as a status symbol, something that both he and others will recognize as a mark of success. Additionally, the tendency for individuals to externalize their concerns about their own lives by acquiring status symbol objects or possessions that reinforce their identities furthers the relationship between self completion theory and materialism. Much more emphasis is placed on material goods, as they can be recognized and understood as status symbols by a wide audience. Likewise, materialism reinforces symbolic self-completion when a society is structured such consumption of prestigious objects is seen as the best remedy for insecurity; individuals see material wealth as the best source of reassurance.