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Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs Analysis

Decent Essays

George Orwell's quote from his novella Animal Farm: “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing.” can be easily applied to today's American society. Many Americans still decide to consume more than they can actually handle, which more than often can lead to such states as obesity (in 2012, 34.9% of Americans aged over 20 were obese), affluenza1 and finally - decadence2. In Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs the only material needs are the ones that are biology-, physiology- and safety-oriented. Food, drink, shelter, security and protection from elements. They make up a small percentage of the triangle and are only essential as a groundwork for the pursuit of higher needs. Consumerism within the capitalist society of the USA is, for the most part, made up of citizens stuck in a materialistic trance. They surround and identify themselves with the objects they own. The concept of self slowly dissolves and is replaced by stuff. At fault could be the hierarchy of classes fabricated by advertising. People are sold things …show more content…

It reflects the expectations of how the American Dream looks like and how simple it is to be part of that world if you own that new [insert product here]. It's so simple. Just buy that [insert product here] and you will be able to laugh with the attractive people from the ad, who have perfect, white teeth and live in a perfect, bright world. Things are easy to access today, especially since retail services in the US are more developed and polished than anywhere else in the world. Amazon and Walmart represent the essence of America's consumerist society. Some people want to prove their worth by showing off expensive clothes, gadgets and other consumer goods, not because the quality is superior (and it is either of no concern to the consumer or simply untrue), but because it highlights his/her social status and thus elevates the individual's illusion of self worth. But it is not their

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