Apparently making money isn't the sure-fire formula for well-being that it used to be. But do you know why? Bill McKibben wrote a fascinating, in-depth article, Reversal of Fortune, for Mother Jones (home of "smart, fearless journalism"). You can read it for free here.
Here are a couple of teasers from the article. The relationship between material wealth and happiness peaked in Western countries at 38% in 1974, and today we are actively experiencing life as "grimmer."
Once basic needs are met, Bill McKibben asserts that life satisfaction, however that is defined, shows some surprising data: The richest Americans, as defined by Forbes magazine, have identical happiness scores with the Pennsylvania Amish. He goes on to describe correlations of this factor in other countries too - and why the Irish, Danes, and Mexicans, have more satisfaction.
McKibben quotes an economist who asserts that companionship contributes more to well-being than income. Yet it is also a delicate dance between the two. When money is plentiful, and companionship scarce, companionship will add more to subjective well-being. When there is lots of companionship (as in crowded 3rd world families for example), and little money, an increase in income will add to subjective well-being.
This reminds me of how "rich" I felt when my husband and I first got married. We grossed $18,000 between the two of us that first year in 1974. Our rent was only $140 and we had a spectacular apartment view and discretionary money to go out to dinner and the movies, and on nice vacations. Even though our income has increased exponentially, I don't feel as rich as I did in 1974.
Interesting, provocative essay - worth the read.
In response to your post on Bill McKibben, Money and Happiness I want to post a part from my article which examines the impact of speed, overstimulation, consumerism and industrialization on our minds and environment. Please read.
The link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues.
The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds cannot be peaceful when attention-spans are down to nanoseconds, microseconds and milliseconds. Our Minds cannot be peaceful if we destroy Nature.
Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment.
Subject : In a fast society slow emotions become extinct.
Subject : A thinking mind cannot feel.
Subject : Scientific/ Industrial/ Financial thinking destroys the planet.
Emotion is what we experience during gaps in our thinking.
If there are no gaps there is no emotion.
Today people are thinking all the time and are mistaking thought (words/ language) for emotion.
When society switches-over from physical work (agriculture) to mental work (scientific/ industrial/ financial/ fast visuals/ fast words ) the speed of thinking keeps on accelerating and the gaps between thinking go on decreasing.
There comes a time when there are almost no gaps.
People become incapable of experiencing/ tolerating gaps.
Emotion ends.
Man becomes machine.
A society that speeds up mentally experiences every mental slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety.
A ( travelling )society that speeds up physically experiences every physical slowing-down as Depression / Anxiety.
A society that entertains itself daily experiences every non-entertaining moment as Depression / Anxiety.
To read the complete article please follow any of these links :
PlanetSave
ePhilosopher
sushil_yadav
Posted by: sushil_yadav | March 30, 2007 at 09:04 AM
Sushil, you've brought in some interesting factors about our culture and lifestyle. I believe these issues are all inter-linked. Your comments and links to articles focus in on the potential psychological damage that a consumerist lifestyle can engender.
What I found noteworthy about McKibben's article was the interplay between companionship and amount of money, and how the working assumptions/research around these 2 factors seemed to hold true in countries all over the world.
Posted by: Deb Call | April 01, 2007 at 07:18 PM