In many ways, Non-acquisitive espousers define themselves by what they are not. They are not materialistic. They do not enjoy spending money. They are not interested in being successful, or, at least, this is far from being their primary motivation. They are more head than heart and, strangely, make themselves all the more conspicuous by their drive not to be conspicuous consumers!

To illustrate, Non-acquisitive espousers will say that they have no emotional connection with a car. They see cars just as a way to get from A to B and certainly not as an expression of their personality. They make a conscious effort to see through the image presented by advertisers, because they believe that products rarely live up to the hype. Not for everyone, but there is a tendency to live a more austere way of life, where there are no treats or unnecessary purchases. They only buy what they need. In fact, they do not enjoy spending money. Because of their focus on functionality, they tend to be disappointed with products that do not last as long as they had hoped.

Living in the best house in the best neighbourhood, with the best car is often associated with climbing the social ladder, but this idea of success has no value for Non-acquisitive espousers. They try to follow their own path in life and not to be dictated to by what others think. A successful life is seen in non-materialistic ways, such as the quality of their relationships or their ability to have time to do what they want to do. One consequence of not being driven by the need to climb the social ladder or to acquire symbols of success is that they worry less about the small things.

Two kinds of people are drawn to the Non-acquisitive attribute. Both types reject the needs for social status, or a strong public image, but for very different reasons. The first group focuses on maintaining what they have and who they know, whilst the second group focuses on expanding their knowledge. Neither are interested in acquiring material goods, but the latter group does like to acquire non-material experiences through travel, meeting other people and so on.

Amongst Non-acquisitive espousers, there are no significant differences between men and women; however, our data shows that there is a marked distinction between younger and older people. This attribute appeals less to those under 35 years of age and is more attractive to people over 45 years, who are more likely to limit and control their spending habits.