Advice on Happiness in Consuming
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The idea that consumption can lead to
happiness is not a difficult concept for most people to believe. The problem is the method whereby this occurs is
precisely opposite to the naïve manner most people imagine. First let’s debunk the typical thought process. Say I
like chocolate. Buying and eating chocolate should make me happy. If I showed up with a truck load of chocolate and
told you to eat it in a couple of hours, would you find that enjoyable? Chocolate is a fleeting sensory form of
enjoyment that can quickly turn to misery. The same idea applies to a Porsche. Great car, but I need to buy
insurance, put gas in it and then watch it deteriorate. Suppose I owned a fleet of them and spend all day gassing
them up….not fun.
Again, we need to go to the idea that
happiness comes from making others happy, not enhancing our own sensory desires. This is not an extreme view. We
can still buy a Porsche and enjoy it while eating some chocolate. We just need to understand the limitations of
these pursuits so we don’t forget to work for the happiness of others as the real source of joy. So how do we make
others happy through consumption? Well, for those worried about global warming, we could probably cheer them up by
finding ways to cut our greenhouse gasses. Eating less meat could reduce greenhouse gasses and probably make the
animal you were going to eat breathe a sigh of relief. Moderate consumption in a very materialistic society could
help set an example while also producing a higher ability for you to consume in the future. Everyone should have
everything they need, but no one should have everything they want. Part of our consumption could be directed
towards helping others in a charitable manner. That said, the principal that it is always better to teach someone
to fish than give them fish may inform our efforts. Acting on a sincere wish to help others is far more important
here than the actual gift.
Lastly we still need to listen to our
internal view of money. If it is security, we need to spend slowly. For freedom we might want to take a great
vacation every year. For power we might want to save and accumulate assets so we can use them to make a positive
contribution to the world. These are some ideas that could help us find a more lasting sense of peace and
happiness.
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