A search for happiness

           

            In Buddhist teachings, happiness is not something that comes naturally. It can be found anywhere and everywhere around us, but must be sought after. I believe this speaks to some of the problems we’re experiencing with our consumerist society. In my opinion, people have a misinformed way of attain happiness. I say this not as a generalization, but rather, as a suggestion about people who may be tied up in a materialistic culture. I’m sure I’m guilty of it and I’m you are also.

            I think when we’re talking about a specific group of the population that finds pleasure in materialistic values, we dive into a more complex social problem and an even bigger environmental impact. The environmental impact part is easy; we want more, so we produce more and in turn, pollute more and use up natural resources. This presents obvious problems. I think the focal point should be in the societal norms that promote this type of behavior, in order to change it for the better.

            People buy things and want more to feel happy, but why? Is it just a misplaced sense of belonging or maybe even competition with others? Some sort of status symbol or perhaps just an obsession with owning things? I believe it’s a mixture of all these elements, but the only dangerous part is most people aren’t conscious of it. It is underlying rhythm that drives people. We long to have the car and the house of our dreams, so we slave away at a job we hate. Jobs that take us away from these houses we love for most of the day. Seems ironic right?

            I think we should look at the things that truly make people happy. Love, friendship, learning, hobbies and a sense of belonging are the things we truly aspire for, but somehow, the way we attain these things is skewed along the way. I think we should shift our emphasis from objects to experiences. I think some companies have already started to use this to market their products. The problem with this is that people then buy those products to seem like they exemplify those lifestyles. Nike is a great example. I think if we could truly shift towards that a world whose people created happiness from experiences and interactions in their community it would be beneficial for everyone and the environment in the long run.