"Materialism coarsens and petrifies everything, making everything vulgar, and every truth false"

Materialism, as described by Henri Frederic Amiel, acts as a corrosive influence on both personal character and societal values. When material possession and tangible wealth become dominant, the subtler, more refined aspects of human life, such as empathy, artistic sensibility, and philosophical reflection, are diminished. As people prioritize material gain over moral or spiritual enrichment, their perceptions and interactions with the world become cruder, less sensitive, and more transactional. The word "coarsens" suggests an erosion of delicacy and subtlety in human nature, pointing to a loss of depth and refinement in attitudes and behaviors.

As materialism petrifies, it does not merely roughen, but also hardens the inner life. Emotions, dreams, and ideals that once provided dynamism and color are stilled, rigidified into immovable monuments to self-interest or accumulation. When everything becomes vulgar, beauty, grace, and distinction are replaced by crassness and mediocrity; the banal and ordinary become aspirational, while genuine creativity and individuality are stifled. People begin to judge value by the outward and obvious, money, possessions, status, rather than by inner worth and subtle qualities.

Finally, Amiel’s assertion that “every truth [becomes] false” underscores a loss of authenticity. In a materialistic society, even the most noble concepts, love, friendship, freedom, and justice, may become instruments for personal gain rather than ideals pursued for their own sake. Authentic truth is replaced with a facsimile that serves material purposes, distorting reality itself. Ultimately, the subtle corruption inflicted by materialism undermines trust, devalues meaning, and alienates individuals from the deeper aspects of life. The pursuit of material ends above all else renders our world less vibrant, less sincere, and far more hollow, substituting superficial satisfaction for the pursuit of genuine fulfillment.