the need for things
"we buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't like."
- fight club
The need for things is one of the core elements of human culture, only the amount changes, depending on cultural belonging and level of prosperity as the main factors.
Since the want for stuff is also the driving force of the whole economy, it’s basically a huge lever on the economy. This lever is at all times pulled in various directions by many kinds people. With varying success.