We don’t need more stuff
Unhappy? Buy this! Dissatisfied? Buy that! Lonely? This product will fix everything!
Our society loves to tell us to buy more and more. Over time, it's no wonder that we start to believe that 'more and more' is a source of happiness.
The truth is that materialism and consumerism are strongly linked to ill-being.
In one fascinating study , researchers showed study participants 24 photos of luxury goods. Participants then filled out a survey that asked questions like, "What matters most to you in life?" Simply looking at these images led them to rank materialistic values as more important than a control group. They also reported feeling more negative emotions, more anxious, and more dissatisfied with themselves.
If you feel a lack of fulfillment in your life, that's completely okay. That's an important signal that you need something. But that something isn't purchased in a store. It's found through meaning and connection — two sources of happiness that do actually work.
