I have found that there is very little correlation between monetary wealth and gratification. In fact, if anything, there is an inverse relationship between the two. Happiness is found with human connection, altruism, and self-sufficiency. The reliance on excess and money is nothing more than a reflection of our ego. The Stoics had it right. Money is not evil but the desire is. This Buddhist perspective explains why so many people in the United States are wrought with pain, depression, and isolation. Moderation, simplicity, and authenticity are the true factors in determining wealth.
The more you want, the less happy you will be. This is because the entire concept of "want" relies on a pessimistic perspective. It focuses on what you don't have, rather than what is already available to you. Instead, a more realistic perspective is to focus on what you do have and cherish and nurture these gifts to bring about fruit in your own life.
However, the problem arises when an entire culture, economy, and technology revolves around this notion of want. While capitalism is a great and efficient economic system, it leaves the constituents of the system in a perpetual state of mindless consumption, without the value of the product being realized. This is why living a stoic and even hermetic life brings the most happiness. Minimalism, Naturalism, and Stoicism all bring out a lifestyle that focuses on what is real rather than what is manufactured.
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