According to the materialism, the reality is what we see or observe in the material things around us. In order to understand the world around us, materialism propounds that we need to study and look at the environmental, physical, economical, and historical factors. According to materialists, human consciousness does not exist. Our brain is just flesh in which lots of electrical activity takes place and it is due to these electrical impulses that we are able to understand ourselves and everything else.

Materialism also emphasizes on the importance of worldly possessions and physical pulchritudinous, proclaiming that they are the most important things in life. A materialistic person is the one who seeks wealth, is superficial, selfish and status conscious, wants to look good all the time, is manipulative, works for his own benefit and always wants things to go his way. On the other hand an idealist is one who always strives for perfection. He believes that everything and everyone should be "ideal" i.e. perfect and flawless. Idealists are basically non conformists and futurists who want to change the accepted order of things for a more perfect one in the future. Idealists seek intellectual and moral development, rather than gaining material wealth. Materialists want everything now and look for instant gratification while idealists strive to work towards a perfect future.