The Good Life is not the "Goods" Life

According to research by psychologist Tim Kasser, Ph.D, individuals who say that goals for money, image, and popularity are relatively important to them also report less satisfaction with life, fewer experiences of pleasant emotions, and more depression and anxiety.

Research on how happiness relates to material wealth by psychologists Edward Diener, Ph.D., and David Myers, Ph.D., indicates that people are generally happier if they live in wealthy rather than poor nations. But once individuals have enough to provide for their basic needs of food and shelter, there is relatively little improvement in happiness from having more money. Neither personal income nor national economic growth do much to affect the collective happiness of the citizens.

Ironically, in a culture that constantly reminds us that we can have it all, that we deserve this or that, or the solution to our problem can be had for a few easy payments, research shows that the focus on materialistic pursuits often diminishes feelings of personal well-being. The research also suggests that a preoccupation with affluence promotes ecologically-destructive behavior. In fact, the emphasis placed by many governments on increasing economic growth is counter-productive; exacting enormous ecological costs while doing little to improve the happiness of the citizens.