50 Material Things Quotes That Teach Some Great Lessons

By Norbert Juma

Master quote curator and editor on a mission to inspire

Published January 3, 2023

These material things quotes emphasize both benefits and disadvantages of having material things.

Material things are a broad category covering small to large possessions on which one likes to spend money.

Material things are considered a source of happiness and joy in today’s world.

This is the wrong concept about material things.

These material things are only for providing comfort and making daily life easy.

It is not bad to desire material things, but excess of everything is bad.

You should not compromise your health, relationships, and personal life to get more material things.

Here are some significant advantages of possessing material things.

Comfort
Luxury
Convenience
Improved lifestyle
Good Status

Before heading to the quotes section, let’s first discuss why material things don’t provide true happiness.

Reasons why material things don’t give true happiness

In this age, people don’t feel happy despite having plenty of material things.

Here are some reasons why material things can’t provide happiness.

Short time happiness

Happiness provided by material things is only for a short time.

As it is a part of human nature that when a person finds his/her desired thing, he/she gets bored with it after some time.

For example, a new shirt is new for a couple of wears, just as the desire to eat something after eating it is over.

So happiness from material things fades away soon and does not provide true happiness.

The desire to get more never ends

Material things lead to competition with others in today’s society.

When one sees someone possessing more material things than him, he suffers from depression and stress.

Instead of bringing happiness, material things can be a source of despair among people.

Difficult to maintain

As it seems difficult to gather material things, it is difficult to maintain these.

With several increasing material things, maintaining and managing them becomes a hard task.

As humans like things to be in good shape and form, the owner also wants his material things to be perfect.

Lack of time to enjoy

In today’s busy world, a person doesn’t have enough time to enjoy the benefits and comforts of material things due to a tough schedule.

So people feel unhappy just by possessing a few material things instead of enjoying them.

These material things don’t give exclusive benefits to the owner due to the lack of time.

If you enjoy this article, check out our collection of materialistic quotes about the lure of more stuff.

Top 10 material things quotes

Some top material things by famous people and influencers are the following.

1. “Material things don’t matter.” — John Catsimatidis

2. “Material things aren’t important to me.” — Troy Polamalu

3. “I don’t like to attach myself to material things.” — Jourdan Dunn

4. “Music is what I care about. Not material things.” — Louis Walsh

5. “Always hold on to the material things with open hands.” — G Swiss

6. “I’m not a guy who’s about the material things.” — Karl-Anthony Towns

7. “I don’t feel like material things validate me in any way.” — Cynthia Bailey

8. “Material things are delightful, but they’re not important.” — Richard Branson

9. “It’s not only about the material things – I also have a spiritual side.” — Maluma

10. “I don’t have a desire for material things. As long as I’m happy, I’m good, man.” — Astro

Valuable material things quotes

Many valuable material quotes that describe the value of material things are mentioned below.

11. “I grew up with very little – so material things have never been that important for me.” — Gervinho

12. “The greatest victory in life is to rise above the material things that we once valued most.” — Muhammad Ali

13. “Winning isn’t just about the material things you attain, it’s about being your best in all you do.” — Tom Herman

14. “The love for material things grows like a fungus in the soul and destroys the loveliness of the human heart utterly.” — Caryll Houselander

15. “I’m not so in love with material things that I’ll do anything for money. That allows me the luxury of doing things of value.” — Esther Rolle

16. “The thirst of soul is sweeter than the wine of material things, and the fear of spirit is dearer than the security of the body.” — Khalil Gibran

17. “Don’t depend on other people to be responsible for you. Don’t make yourself stressed out over nonsensical things like material things.” — Eartha Kitt

18. “Somehow, we have come to the erroneous belief that we are all but flesh, blood, and bones, and that’s all. So we direct our values to material things.” — Maya Angelou

19. “People give more importance to material things, it all seems to be a power game, while people ought to be making the most of every moment as time is fleeting.” — Rekha

20. “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” — Billy Graham

Fact-based material things quotes

The following quotes state some facts about material things.

21. “Family always gonna be there. The material things, they come and go.” — Romeo Miller

22. “The discontent that lies in the human condition is not satisfied simply by material things.” — Derek Walcott

23. “Many in the modern world fell for the myth that we’re living in a static, fixed, flat reality of just material things.” — Rob Bell

24. “Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling that you cherished them.” — Richard L. Evans

25. “Let’s be cautious about relying so much on material things that we have no energy left for the spiritual aspects of our lives.” — James A. Forbes

26. “The few men who possess the wealth of the material things of the earth at the present time are not truly happy.” — Joseph Franklin Rutherford

27. “Material things ain’t nothing. You feel me? At the end of the day, it’s who you is. You weren’t born with it; you gon’ die without it.” — Nipsey Hussle

28. “We live in a material world, not a dramatic one. And truth resides not in melodrama, but in the precise measure of material things.” — Richard Flanagan

29. “Holidays have been commercialized. It has become about material things. But the holidays are about sharing stories and being in each other’s presence.” — Malcolm D. Lee

30. “Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these, they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve.” — Francis of Assisi

Below material things, quotes are based on the experiences of authors about material things.

31. “I never grew up with the money, and I never wanted a lot of material things.” — Katie Lee

32. “I’m not big on material things, but I like my cars. They are German-made and custom-made.” — Dirk Nowitzki

33. “I see what happens when one gets very attached to material things. That’s just not what my life is.” — Alicia Keys

34. “I don’t need material things like gold and platinum records on my wall, Grammys or Hall Of Fame nods.” — Tommy Lee

35. “I have a notion that if you are going to be spiritually curious, you better not get cluttered up with too many material things.” — Mary Oliver

36. “I didn’t have a great childhood, and neither did Debbie, my wife, so we both try to give the kids not only the material things we never had but also the hugs and the love.” — Theo Paphitis

37. “Very early on in life, I decided the hell with it: material things weren’t for me. Christmas would come, and other kids would have all these presents, and it wouldn’t bother me a bit.” — James A. Michener

38. “I am convinced that material things can contribute a lot to making one’s life pleasant, but, basically, if you do not have very good friends and relatives who matter to you, life will be really empty and sad, and material things cease to be important.” — David Rockefeller

39. “I have my own high standards for what I want in a partner and how I want to be treated. I bring a lot to the table. I’m not talking about material things but what I have to offer as a person – love and loyalty and all the things that make a good relationship.” — Jennifer Lopez

40. “I’m living the exact life I planned on living when I was five. My life has taken some turns and changes that I didn’t anticipate, and it has brought me different things. I thought material things would bring me happiness, which they didn’t. But through this, I have learned what things are important and what isn’t.” — Tom Ford

Wise material things quotes

Following material things, quotes are a great source of wisdom.

41. “There are only so many material things you can have before it becomes boring.” — Erika Jayne

42. “Eternal values are much more everlasting than the temporary physical material things.” — Sunday Adelaja

43. “There’s nothing wrong with material things as long as you don’t lie, cheat and steal.” — Bikram Choudhury

44. “When your focus on earth is only on material things and earthly blessings you will never be satisfied.” — Sunday Adelaja

45. “You may have occasion to possess or use material things, but the secret of life lies in never missing them.” — Mahatma Gandhi

46. “Leaders don’t define wealth by material things they see. They define wealth by the visions they imagine and actions they take.” — Israelmore Ayivor

47. “We never got much in the way of material things, but if you can be spoiled by good cooking, my mom spoiled me three times a day all my life.” — John Isner

48. “Material goods consist of useful material things, and of all rights to hold, or use, or derive benefits from material things, or to receive them at a future time.” — Alfred Marshall

49. “We should never let material things get ahead of God or become so important in our lives that we can’t walk away from them if He tells us to. Anything you own that has a hold on you is a problem.” — Joyce Meyer

50. “Let’s remember that our children’s spirits are more important than any material things. When we do, self-esteem and love blossoms and grows more beautifully than any bed of flowers ever could.” — Jack Canfield