Reflection On Affluenza

This reading gives me an entirely different perspective on how I operate in relation to other people I know and associate with. There was a time in my life that I didn’t measure my position in life based on possessions; I was affluenza free. However, as I got a little older the need for greed seems to have taken a bigger role in my life. The reading of Affluenza makes me realize that I do, to an extent have this affliction. Although it is not all consuming for me, I certainly possess a lot more now than I really need. In evaluating how I got to this belief about needing the latest and greatest whatever new thing being made, I realized it was through commercialism. Not the commercialism sense that I was going to get monetarily benefited from having to own a certain product, but by having a certain product it was going to make my life so much easier to live. After all, this is what I get bombarded with anytime I turn on the …show more content…
I respectfully disagree. This meaningful existence might be true in a persons younger workforce years, but having financial security becomes a serious concern as you close in on your end of working years. Meaningful existence doesn’t pay the bills when you or family members become ill; so financial dependance has to have some level of importance in your life. I suppose if you feel there will be no hope for receiving a fair income for the services you provide to society, then a meaningful existence provides you a peace of mind. In reading this book as well as what was covered in the course materials it makes it pretty clear to me that our American capitalism system is really backwards. The folks who should be making a very comfortable living don’t get compensated a hill of beans for their efforts. These are the people who are risking their very lives to keep the wheel of life