Consumerism and Happiness Essay

and a withdrawal from society, and thus are no happier than before they had a consumer mind-set. Logos: This is a prominent figure throughout Hill’s argument. His most observable use of logos, or logic, is turning himself into the example that consumerism leads to further problems later in life. In one of Hill’s direct claims to his audience, he states that “Intuitively, we know that the best stuff in life isn’t stuff at all, and that relationships, experiences, and meaningful work are the…

II. Important Information: 1. The main idea is that owning stuff is not the key to happiness and that consumers today own more than they need and it also impacts the environment. Hill demonstrates this by showing statistics of global warming due to consumerism. Hill also claims that most of our stress comes up when we are managing our own personal belongings, whether it be moving to a new house or selling stuff, and that he is personally happier in life owning less items than the average…

addicted to consumerism as a pursuit of happiness; Something we all look for as a “goal” in life but we are mistakenly taking the wrong journeys towards achieving it. Our pursuit of happiness has become an ongoing process of having more and more, having the latest trends, and constantly “updating” our lifestyle to discard the old and always live with the new. This has been apparent for some people for quite a long time, but nothing has been done to change this flawed path to happiness. As Aldous…

bring him happiness that money can’t buy (213). IV. Pattern of Organization: Exemplification: This, using examples to prove a point, appears to be the main style of organization that leads to the author’s thesis. Hill doesn’t directly argue against consumerism, but rather he argues about how consumerism is negative in his life, about how consumerism is destructive to the environment, about how consumerism is stressful for consumers, and about how consumerism doesn’t lead to happiness. His…

today, which tosses out millions of tons of trash every year. This waste is often left to emit toxic gases as it decomposes. Landfills are overflowing as more and more items begin to be deemed as unwanted, and the earth is suffering because of it. Consumerism is to blame for this; we now view everything as a means to our own end (pleasure), regardless of the effects that will follow. In our consumeristic mindset, we can now minimize pain and discomfort in any form. In Brave New World, soma was…

Everybody born as a consumer, and consumerism is a word that as old as our modern civilization. On the other hand, it is also a derogatory term that is used to describe an uncontrolled buying and wasting behavior. A few days ago, one of my friends just ordered the newest IPhone, which is the IPhone7 that was released in the beginning of September, even though his IPhone6 works just fine. I can feel his gratification from his Facebook and twitter as he definitely wants to show his new toy, the…

difference between being rich and poor, a gap that seems to be characterizing the American society nowadays. When Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence about “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (par 2) he probably did not think Americans would attempt to pursue happiness through material belongings. For some people, it seems to be more important to mist themselves with Chanel and accessorize with Louis Vuitton, than to have a nice meal on the table every night. The bigger…

Stability is often thought to come with happiness, but that is not always the case. Even right now, humans can be happy while living in an unstable environment; it’s all about perspective. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley depicts a totalitarian World State where people are conditioned and manipulated for the sake of stability in society. After analyzing the World State and comparing it to reality, one can clearly see that the sacrifices made to guarantee happiness and stability are not worth…

• Denial of responsibility: telling self not to feel responsible because the factors are beyond one’s control. • Denial of Injury: telling self that no party was directly affected by the purchase. • Denial of Victim: telling self that the affected party deserved the situation in which they are. • Condemning the condemners: pointing out that those who criticize engage in other disapproved activities that are alike. • Appeal to higher loyalties: telling self that the unethical behaviors are the…

considered to be the ultimate American Dream and a source of excitement and pleasure. However, a close evaluation of the themes of the The Great Gatsby reveals the meretriciousness of wealth and how it brings more displeasure in life than it brings happiness. The first symbol expressing this theme is the color green, specifically the green light and how it shows desires beyond wealth. Another symbol supporting this theme is Jay Gatsby’s mansion which contains the collection of Gatsby’s…