We live in a materialistic society and are trained from our earliest years to be acquisitive. Our possessions “mine” and “yours”, are clearly ___21___ from early childhood. When we grow older enough to earn a living, ___22___ does not surprise us to discover that success is measured ___23___ the money we earn. We spend the whole of our lives keeping ___24___ our neighbors, the Joneses. If we buy a new television set, Jones is ___25___ to buy a bigger and better one.
It is not only in affluent societies ___26___ people are obsessed with the idea of making more money. Consumer goods are ___27 ___ everywhere and modern industry deliberately sets out to create new markets. ___28___ are the days ___29___ industrial goods are made to ___30___ forever. The wheels of industry must be kept turning. “Built-in obsolescence” provides the means: goods are made to be ___31___. Cars get tinnier and tinnier. You no sooner acquire this year’s model ___32___ you are thinking about its replacement.
This materialistic outlook has seriously influenced education. Fewer and fewer young people these days ___33___ knowledge only for its own ___34___. Every course of studies must lead somewhere: i.e. to a bigger wage packet. The demand for skilled personnel far ___35___ the supply and big companies compete with each other to recruit students ___36___ they have completed their studies. Tempting salaries and “fringe benefits” are ___37___ to them. Recruiting tactics of this kind have led to the “brain drain”, the process ___38___ highly skilled people offer their services to the highest ___39___. The wealthier nations ___40___ their poorer neighbors of their most able citizens. While Mammon is worshiped as never before, the rich get richer and the poor, poorer.