December 5, 2014
Buying more, bigger, better “stuff” as you reach for happiness is a recipe for disaster. Why? Alternative?
Buying more, bigger, better “stuff” as you reach for happiness is a recipe for disaster. Why? Alternative?
If you keep wasting your money on expensive stuff you are bound to go broke. After you buy something expensive you temporarily feel good, but once you get used to it you don’t feel good anymore. Then you are likely to buy something else expensive and this will continue on. The best thing you can do is save your money and invest it. For an alternative you need to find something else that will make you happy but not broke. People should strive to not be materialistic then they won’t be susceptible into buying expensive stuff.
Once you have something the hedonic treadmill kicks in and you get used to what you just got, this nice new car is not a new car very quickly. You will always want more if you get more. Only once you see you have enough will you ever be happy with how things are. If you stop buying stuff for the sake of buying stuff you will be happier in the long run. Once you get everything you need you can give to others and make their lives better.
The Haag brothers covered the issue beautifully. Read their comments and take some time to reflect on this issue. It might just be time to get off that hedonic treadmill and start moving toward a more meaningful and enriching life. Awake!