Consumerism and Happiness

There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.

-G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

Over the last few days, while reading about consumerism, a common idea has continually popped up. Almost every article I have read discusses the happiness levels of Americans now and in decades past. Turns out that people in the 1950s were just as happy, if not happier, as we are now. But how could that be?! They didn't have nearly the "stuff" that we do!

According to Chesterton, they were just as happy as we are because they desired less. Consumerism is a ravenous monster: you can try all you want, but it will never be satisfied. If we continue to buy and buy and buy and buy, a non-ending cycle will develop. Buying "stuff" may make you satisfied for a short amount of time, but later that feeling leaves and you feel the need to buy more.

Maybe, then, we should take Chesterton's advice. Maybe we should try to desire less. Maybe we should appreciate what we have more than what we want.