Contentment And Living Essay

Name: Charn Yao Liang Marcus

UB ID: 50106359

SIM ID: 10139511

(ESL 407) Process Essay (Contentment while living in a modern society)

Contentment is defined as the state of satisfaction and not wanting more of oneself. Back then before the twentieth century, lives were rather simpler as technologies were not yet as advanced. People were generally happy with what they had and their values were collectivistic and egalitarian as well. However, as society progresses on, people are becoming more affluent and they also begin to have the autonomy to spend, along with the rise of technology which led to the increase of commodities. As a result, people have become less contented as compared to those from the past, expectations have changed, and society has also become increasingly stratified. People are more materially driven and are no longer satisfied with their current state and thus strive for more. However, people can actually be contented while living in the midst of this rapidly changing world even when they may not be fully satisfied. Earning more money and gaining good statuses in society does not necessarily lead to more happiness.

In the modern society, people are no longer satisfied due to their insatiable desire for wealth, gaining more possessions and having the best things they could acquire. For instance, ‘#First World Problems’ is an Internet meme where online users from privileged nations would post about their complaints or disgruntlement about trivial things. Few examples of these include the delay on the arrival of public transport and bland food served. Besides, many also tend to upgrade or pay more for the latest gadgets as they deem their previous items to be obsolete despite them still functioning. These are ofte...

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...r. Similarly, many people who have attended his speeches have indeed touched by his optimism in life despite him being without limbs, which impedes his mobility immensely. They could also emulate his resilience and actually count themselves fortunate for having healthy bodies, as Nick himself did not consider himself to be invalid but instead uses his life testimony to influence others.

Contentment is a matter of personal choice, as one could actually look around him and consider how they can be happy if they choose to, as expectations may differ from people to people. Having a proper shelter, being able to walk on the street safely and not having to worry for the next meal can be actually be considered to be more fortunate than more than half of the population in the world. Knowing fully well that money does not quantify happiness is also an art of being content.