The Extent of Materialism’s Growth

Dr. Albert Wiggam’s “Let’s Explore Your Mind” column, syndicated in many American papers, asked the question: “Do men’s wants increase faster than their necessities?” It answered: “It is estimated that a century ago the average man had 72 wants, of which 16 were regarded as necessities. Today, the average man is estimated to have 474 wants, 94 of which are regarded as necessities. A century ago, 200 articles were urged upon the average man by salesmanship—but today there are 32,000 articles which require sales resistance. Man’s necessities are few—his wants, infinite.” Has your spiritual growth come anywhere near to equaling your increasing material wants?