When people get philosophical about this, they are generally trying to avoid materialism and thus not thinking in the terms I am about to use, but I wonder how investment fits in with that attitude.

From one perspective your money can sit idle in a brokerage account, from another it is put to use by someone else.

You could take out capital gains and dividends, and spend them, leaving your starting balance the same. That starting balance could continue making you money.

In other words there are ways to imagine money never spent, sitting in an account, that isn't worthless.

Money spent is exchanged, not lost.