Money can't buy happiness shock headline.
David Cameron has publicly opined that life is about more than money - it's about happiness and I think he's almost right.
One of the common barriers to happiness seems to be that so many people have bought into the capitalist illusion of materialist consumerism as a fulfilling way of life and the pursuit of this is bound to ultimately leave them discontented and disappointed. Many people will never earn enough to satisfy their desires for material goods even if only because once they have bought an item within months it will be out of fashion. Whether it's washing machines, High Street fashion, mobile phones or sound systems you can bet that once people have gone deep into debt to purchase it a newer, better, larger or smaller model with more twiddly bits and flashing lights will be on the market and they're back with the also-rans. Alternatively they may be among the 'fortunate' ones who are able to keep up with these consumer fashions but, no matter how wealthy people are, there is always something they want that they can't have, whether it's a particular house or talent or personal attribute. Money cannot buy happiness and is the wrong currency for buying contentment too.
I believe that what increases happiness is a very personal thing for each of us and therefore Cameron's not correct to think, as he appears to, that governments can do anything to promote public happiness - what they can do is cease tampering with people's private lives and allow them to get on with seeking whatever they define for themselves as happiness.
What's the betting that he could break the mold in the pursuit of happiness and reassert the old Tory value of less government regulation and more personal decision making? Given the source of party funding, nil chance I suspect, more's the pity.
3 comments:
It's only human nature to strive for more. Without it, we wither away and die.
can't believe the comment below.
I hope I strive for nothing material - such a bloody waste of time
Viva Guevara!
(as long as I can get coffee and cardigans)
I'm speaking in terms or more than just material. To elaborate further, it's human nature strive (and struggle) to get what you want out of life. To be given everything without working for make one less appreciative of what he/she has. I can't explain it in more simpler terms than that. That really should be simple to understand, and no reasonably intelligent person should disagree with it.
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