Creating unhappiness

Instead of encouraging people to be content with enough to live on and time enough to enjoy their lives, consumerism drives us to always crave more and newer things, no matter what the cost.

In a way, it condemns us to a lifetime of sadness and discontent. We will never have enough to buy all the new, shiny objects the market makes us want.

But the latest and most expensive clothing, cars, hi-fi stereos and other electronic gadgets are no substitute for friendship and the sense of belonging to a community that knows you and cares about you.

Do you think buying things for 50 or 60 years will make you happy? The great philosophies and religions of the world will tell you that this will not make you happy. In fact, they claim that chasing after material things will complicate your life and block true happiness.

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