We as a society are conditioned to want the very best. We are convinced that if we do not have it all, that we are not truly happy. If we are not rich and do not have a mansion to live in, we are persuaded that we are not living life to it’s full potential. Yet, it seems that people who are dirt poor find happiness easier than someone who has a home and a steady income. How is it that income supposedly determines our level of happiness, but we do not conclude it ourselves? Some may argue that money is necessary to survive, which is true in a manner of speaking. However, you do not need millions of dollars in order to be happy and live a secure lifestyle. The main sources of this misconception are the media, celebrities, and the constant pressure
…show more content…
The average American’s life is not portrayed in movies and reality television shows, as normal life is not captivating to the majority of audiences. Instead, viewers are shown the glamorous lifestyle that celebrities lead, and much of the younger generation aspires to be like them. The prestigious mansions, cars, and clothes that celebrities have prompted society to believe that what they have is not enough. What the public fails to understand is that much of the riches shown on television are excessive and not necessary to lead a content life. “As long as you can afford to be healthy, to be comfortable, to be safe, to be financially stable and to not have to worry about money, then you have plenty of it. This is the ‘richest’ any of us needs to be. Everything else is superfluous” (Hudson). The media convinces us through the lifestyles of famous celebrities that, in order to truly be happy we must have the finest, though the materialistic lifestyle does nothing to aid our …show more content…
When in reality, a mere convenience will do nothing to contribute to anyone’s level of happiness. The secular urges lead us to believe that having the ‘best’ is a necessity, although any product we buy will only grant us temporary happiness. The insistence to purchase the leading product is solely a sales tactic used by companies in order to compel the public to buy their product. However, once the product is purchased, we easily become bored with it and move onto the next best thing. Such as buying the latest smart phone, and then purchasing the new, updated model next year. Powerful companies like Apple construct new phones every year, and their consumers are convinced that the predecessor to every smart phone is considered useless once a new model is released. “It 's counterintuitive that something like a physical object that you can keep for a long time doesn 't keep you as happy as long as a once-and-done experience does. Ironically, the fact that a material thing is ever present works against it, making it easier to adapt to. It fades into the background and becomes part of the new normal. But while the happiness from material purchases diminishes over time, experiences become an ingrained part of our identity” (Cassano). We find happiness through experiences and memories, not by purchasing a product that will
The average American’s life is not portrayed in movies and reality television shows, as normal life is not captivating to the majority of audiences. Instead, viewers are shown the glamorous lifestyle that celebrities lead, and much of the younger generation aspires to be like them. The prestigious mansions, cars, and clothes that celebrities have prompted society to believe that what they have is not enough. What the public fails to understand is that much of the riches shown on television are excessive and not necessary to lead a content life. “As long as you can afford to be healthy, to be comfortable, to be safe, to be financially stable and to not have to worry about money, then you have plenty of it. This is the ‘richest’ any of us needs to be. Everything else is superfluous” (Hudson). The media convinces us through the lifestyles of famous celebrities that, in order to truly be happy we must have the finest, though the materialistic lifestyle does nothing to aid our …show more content…
When in reality, a mere convenience will do nothing to contribute to anyone’s level of happiness. The secular urges lead us to believe that having the ‘best’ is a necessity, although any product we buy will only grant us temporary happiness. The insistence to purchase the leading product is solely a sales tactic used by companies in order to compel the public to buy their product. However, once the product is purchased, we easily become bored with it and move onto the next best thing. Such as buying the latest smart phone, and then purchasing the new, updated model next year. Powerful companies like Apple construct new phones every year, and their consumers are convinced that the predecessor to every smart phone is considered useless once a new model is released. “It 's counterintuitive that something like a physical object that you can keep for a long time doesn 't keep you as happy as long as a once-and-done experience does. Ironically, the fact that a material thing is ever present works against it, making it easier to adapt to. It fades into the background and becomes part of the new normal. But while the happiness from material purchases diminishes over time, experiences become an ingrained part of our identity” (Cassano). We find happiness through experiences and memories, not by purchasing a product that will