Mahatma Gandhi once said, “There’s enough on this planet for everyone’s needs but not for everyone’s greed.” According to an article from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, even though the U.S. has less than five percent of the world’s population, Americans use a third of the world 's paper, a quarter of the oil, 23% of the coal, 27% of the aluminum, and 19% of the copper. The main issue remains that consumer goods (such as televisions, cell phones, computers, etc.) that were previously considered luxury items are slowly becoming necessities for many people (Mayell). To make situations worse, the accessibility of purchasing goods with today’s technology only lures consumers to spend even more. Consumerism directly leads …show more content…
The part that can be changed is one’s individual habits and desire to consume. Many people in the U.S. say they work long hours in order to make ends meet and to pay their bills, but their bills often consist of unnecessary goods, such as brand-name clothing and the “right” kind of car, as said by Amitai Etzioni, Professor of International Relations at George Washington University. According to Etzioni, nations with annual incomes of more that $20,000 have no correlation between a higher income and increased happiness. In other words, people that make more money are not any more satisfied with their possessions compared to those who earn less money. This is caused mainly from the constant and never-ending chase to obtain materialistic goods. There is always someone who has bigger, better, and newer things, causing many to become unsatisfied with what they have. These people are constantly struggling to achieve true satisfaction. Etzioni defines human consumption to be the satisfaction of basic human needs, drawing a clear line between consumption and consumerism. When people begin to yearn for unnecessary goods, consumption turns into …show more content…
Several luxury items include jewelry, clothes, watches, purses, alcohol, tobacco, cell phones, tablets, televisions, cars, and even houses. According to a 2011 research conducted by the Wall Street Journal, “Americans spend about 15% of their household incomes on things that they do not need to satisfy their vices or to keep themselves amused” ( 24/7 Wall Street). These materialistic items that consumers spend money on are only a portion of unnecessary purchases. Purchases that include entertainment tickets, vacation expenses, gifts, expensive dining, etc. all add up to contribute to the concept of unnecessary purchasing. These items are not deemed necessary to living, yet consumers spend their money on these things and end up in financial
Have you ever felt like you are spending too much money at a time, on pointless items? Statistics show that American’s consumption rate of goods has increased by forty-five percent in the last twenty years (Statistics-Consumption/quality of life pg. 194). Americans are experiencing a thing that is many times known as “Affluenza”, this is when someone buys more items, such as clothes, cars, houses, or any unnecessary items. Many people talk about this so-called “Affluenza”, like it is a medical term. The word Affluenza is pretty much saying that people make money and work hard for their money and they like to buy nice things, because they can and they have the money to. They are fortunate enough to be able to have these nice things for themselves because they work so hard for it. Many Americans are not satisfied with their positions because of false ads, selfishness, and jealousy. Some celebrities, some of the wealthiest people on the planet have committed suicide because they are not happy with what they have and they feel like they need more items, when really they have everything they need to be happy, but they suffer from Affluenza and make these bad decisions.
1. The main idea is not only that owning stuff is not the key to happiness, it’s also that consumers today own more than they need to thrive which directly impacts the environment. Hill illustrates the environmental impact by showing statistics of global warming today versus the past century, and how consumerism is leading to a hotter climate. Hill debunks claims of buying happiness by discussing a study where stress hormones spike to their highest when people are managing their personal belongings. Hill’s most prominent example that consumerism is not the answer is himself, as he discusses some of the most stressful times of his life being right after coming into a large sum of money and buying whatever he fancied. When Hill concludes his article, he states that “I have less—and enjoy more. My space is small. My life is big” (213).
Van Den Haag, Ernest. "Conspicuous Consumption of Self". National Review VI (April 11, 1959): 656-658.
In our contemporary American life we have the desire for things that we do not really need to make us happy. Our commercial world intends to sell us substitutes for the things we truly need in order to be happy. We replace our real needs with things like clothing, furniture, cars, nice houses, and many other unessential items. Many individuals place the blame for an unhappy lifestyle on their occupation, and search out alternatives such as material items. We are happy when we receive things fast, because of our lack of patience, and because we simply enjoy the hassle free lifestyle. Our technological advances have made many things easy for us and it brings us some joy. Examples include that we rather drive than walk, and eat from unhealthy fast food restaurants than cook a meal ourselves. We see advertisements everywhere selling us products to make us happy, however the happiness from sex, food, and excitement are pleasures that are short lived. If we took away all unnecessary items for survival from our society today, could we still be happy? ...
He further shows us that the people of today are richer than their grandparents but are not happier in their lives (from National Statistics of social pathology). Even with these facts, people in the United States still believe if they had more money all of their problems would be solved, but once they reach that next income bracket they are not satisfied and try to reach the next one. Myers et al tells us, "even if being rich and famous is rewarding, no one ever claimed material success alone makes us happy. Other conditions like - family- friends- free time - have been shown to increase happiness" (Csikszentmihaly 145). therefore we must find balance in our own lives, and not just focus on making money. Instead we need friends, family and even free time, as aforementioned doing an activity you enjoy such as listening to music or
“Proper society did not think about making money, only about spending it,” said Barbara W. Tuchman. This quote shows our real world, and the people that spend money, but they forget about the value of money. Nowadays people want more than they have. They forget how many things they have and how much money they spend. Most people when they see people having something better, they think that they need it also. Also, people forget how hard they get that money, but how easily and quickly they spend it. In the article “The Treadmill of Consumption” by Roberts, he says that people are willing to go into debt to buy certain products and brands. That is right that people can do crazy things to buy certain goods. Sometimes people
Of all the strange beasts that have come slouching into the 20th century, none has been more misunderstood, more criticized, and more important than materialism. Who but fools, toadies, hacks, and occasional loopy libertarians have ever risen to its defense? Yet the fact remains that while materialism may be the most shallow of the 20th century's various -isms, it has been the one that has ultimately triumphed. The world of commodities appears so antithetical to the world of ideas that it seems almost heresy to point out the obvious: most of the world most of the time spends most of its energy producing and consuming more and more stuff. The really interesting question may be not why we are so materialistic, but why we are so unwilling to acknowledge
In terms, the more stuff we have, the happier we are. Aristotle illustrates this well in his Nicomachean ethics stating, “...happiness, we claim, is an end and something in every final way....” (Source A). Aristotle suggests the idea that something is needed to find the society deemed definition of happiness. Without it, happiness is nonexistent. Aristotle continues his ethics by saying, “He is happy who lives in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods” (Source A). Today, Americans are growing into this society of selfishness and greed. Happiness has become the main focus of many people, obtaining whatever they can, no matter the situation in hopes of findind what they are missing. They strongly believe that “just a little bit more will finally buy happiness” (Source E). They have been given the free right to buy what they feel will successfully buy happiness. However, just because America has given everyone the same unalienable right, the pursuit of happiness, does not mean everyone crosses the finish
Luxury goods are not the necessities but are very much desirable to people which is supported by a share of money income. They are not easily available and affordable for everyone but due to the coming up of competition in market this has been changed. Nowadays, every individual wants to raise their self high and wants to be different from everyone. Since, the times have changed luxury goods have become more affordable for middle class consumers. Whenever we open our social media accounts such as Instagram, snapchats or news on internet or be it the reality shows, it is full of rich people showing off their dresses, bags, accessories etc. Such news put an impact on our inner thinking about our need to look and feel good through rich possessions. Several manufactured goods have become luxury goods as they are designer, durable and better quality. These goods are considered as luxury goods by the consumers because they play a role of status and class for those who showcase or owns them. These items are not necessarily better than less expensive substitutes are purchased with the main purpose of showcasing their wealth. These kinds of goods are object of socio-economic phenomenon which includes watches, jewelleries, designer clothes and accessories, large
... English, it is the love of material things. This "love of material things" causes the majority of people to spend money carelessly, always buying things that they believe make them "happy". In a study done by 24/7 Wall Street, there are 10 things that the "average" American household spends almost 15% of its annual income. These ten items are, in order from highest to lowest (in number, not price):
In life, especially in American culture, our existence revolves around the physical, materialistic possessions and goals. Every commercial, ad and salesman caters to those who need more “stuff”
However, as already seen, the relationship between income and general life satisfaction was mainly explained by whether material aspirations (such as buying luxury goods) could be fulfilled.” In other words, one’s concept of happiness can vary from nation to nation. For example, people living in poor nations and having a low income tend to be satisfied by having just enough to meet their necessities. While, on the other hand, people with higher income tend to be satisfied if they have enough to buy luxury goods. Being wealthy does not lead one to happiness; it can help some people to obtain happiness, but it can also lead others to have unwanted experiences.
..., a person who earns $25,000 is happier than a person who makes $125,000 and an employee who makes $500,000 is only slightly happier than someone who makes $55,000. Lastly, there are more important things in life that and make you happy, for example, friends. They don’t come with a price tag, and if they do, you definitely need new friends. Money won’t make you happy since good times can’t be bought. You don’t need a fancy vacation to have a good time; it’s just a matter of who you spend it with. Over the years, humans have blown the value of money way out of proportion. People make it seem like if you’re not filthy rich, then you won’t live a good life but it’s not true. You can lack money and yet still live a perfect, happy life.
Material goods don’t make us happy. Acquiring things like houses and cars only have a transient effect on happiness. People’s desires for material possessions crank up at the same, or greater rate, than their salaries. Again, this means that despite considerably more luxurious possessions, people end up no happier. There’s even evidence that materialism make us less happy.
As Green stated in the above quote people will never stop buying things. The people needs could be categorized into two main types. The first one are items or products that are vital for survival such as: food, water, apparels, place to live, access to medical services and so on. On the other hand, the second type of products consist into a wide range of different items and services. For instance, brand clothes, fancy cars, high-tech gadgets, multiple estate and high lifestyle are just a few examples of product that are not critical in order to survive.