Lars Eighner Materialism

My economics teacher once told me a revised version of an old cliche. “Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can provide security, which can help protect your happiness.” This is true, to a large extent. Happiness in life stems from one’s relationships with people and experiences, something that wealth will not provide. That said, having enough in the bank to not have to worry and stress about paying bills and basic expenses will go a long way in terms of reducing anxiety and allowing time to find a true source of happiness. Lars Eighner, a homeless man, writes in his personal essay “On Dumpster Diving” that he believes himself similar to the very wealthy, immune from the “desire to grab for the gaudy bauble,” and therefore happier and more satisfied than the middle class. Despite this ironic claim, he makes a good point about the “rat-race millions;” those who expect to find happiness in materialism will lose themselves. …show more content…
This, however, does not bother him. He does not look to wealth to buy happiness. He sees material objects as of use, or not. By limiting himself from placing emotional value in physicalities, he does not rely on them for contentment, and instead is able to find it in life itself. The incredibly wealthy use their money for security. They stay out of debt, provide themselves a comfortable life, and have funds to pull them out if a bad situation were to stumble upon them. Having so much money, they know there is more to buy out there, but they are smart, and do not feel the need to do so. Instead, they fulfill their lives with meaningful experiences and relationships, and can do so with the safety net of their bank account, eliminating a major source of