Materialism: Are You Happy?

Poon (Om) Poshyanchinda

Dae-chul (Charlie) Kim
 Action for Happiness Movement
Launches

 Action For Happiness

 Materialism REJECTED

 How do we relate materialism to our

happiness?
Materialism
Claims
Rich vs Poor
Starvation
 Yes, Money Can Buy
Happiness Treatments
1. Has the claim been verified?

2. What methods of verification

have been used?
 “…spending more on gifts and
3. What Ways of Knowing have
charity correlated with greater been used?
happiness.”
 John Tierney, Journalist / Dr. 4. What Areas of Knowledge are
Dunn, Psychologist involved?

5. What are the strengths and

limitations of the methods, the
Ways of Knowing and/or the
Areas of Knowledge?
Happiness Threshold
 “…up to about $75,000 a year.
The lower a person's annual
income falls below that
benchmark, the unhappier he or
she feels.”
 Princeton University (2010)
Treatments
1. Has the claim been verified?
2. What methods of verification
have been used?
3. What Ways of Knowing have
been used?
4. What Areas of Knowledge are
involved?
5. What are the strengths and
limitations of the methods, the
Ways of Knowing and/or the
Areas of Knowledge?
Abraham Did It! Treatments
1. Has the claim been verified?

2. What methods of verification

have been used?
 “Then he brought back all
3. What Ways of Knowing have
the possessions, and also been used?
brought back his kinsman
Lot with his possessions, 4. What Areas of Knowledge are
involved?
and the women and the
people.” Genesis 14:16 5. What are the strengths and
limitations of the methods, the
Ways of Knowing and/or the
Areas of Knowledge?
When it comes to Happiness,
it’s better to be rich than to Treatments
be poor
 56% of people who make more
than $75,000 a year say they
are "very satisfied" with life.
 Only 24% of people who make
$25,000 or less a year say they
are "very satisfied" with life.
 2004 Associated Press
1. Has the claim been verified?
2. What methods of verification
have been used?
3. What Ways of Knowing have
been used?
4. What Areas of Knowledge are
involved?
5. What are the strengths and
limitations of the methods, the
Ways of Knowing and/or the
Areas of Knowledge?
 Money Bliss
 “If you want to know how to use
the money you have to become
happier, you need to understand
just what it is that brings you
happiness in the first place.”
 David Furtelle
 Friends
 Relationships
 Kids
 Relaxation
Treatments
1. Has the claim been verified?
2. What methods of verification
have been used?
3. What Ways of Knowing have
been used?
4. What Areas of Knowledge are
involved?
5. What are the strengths and
limitations of the methods, the
Ways of Knowing and/or the
Areas of Knowledge?
Counter-claims
Lots of Money but
Little Happiness
 Gross National
Happiness
 Bhutan has largest GNH, the
Gross National Happiness
 Bhutan’s GDP per capita,
however, is only 1,851.
compared to Monaco with
highest GDP, it’s only 1%
 Therefore, Money ≠
Happiness
Treatments
1. Has the claim been verified?
2. What methods of verification
have been used?
3. What Ways of Knowing have
been used?
4. What Areas of Knowledge are
involved?
5. What are the strengths and
limitations of the methods, the
Ways of Knowing and/or the
Areas of Knowledge?
 A Focusing Illusion
 The false intuitions likely arise from
a failure to recognize that people
do not continuously think about
their circumstances, whether
positive or negative.
Treatments
1. Has the claim been verified?
2. What methods of verification
have been used?
3. What Ways of Knowing have
been used?
4. What Areas of Knowledge are
involved?
5. What are the strengths and
limitations of the methods, the
Ways of Knowing and/or the
Areas of Knowledge?
Why Money Doesn’t
Buy Happiness
 “…they have generally
concluded that wealth
increases human happiness
when it lifts people out of
abject poverty and into the
middle class but that it
does little to increase
happiness thereafter”
 Daniel Gilbert, Psychologist
Treatments
1. Has the claim been verified?
2. What methods of verification
have been used?
3. What Ways of Knowing have
been used?
4. What Areas of Knowledge are
involved?
5. What are the strengths and
limitations of the methods, the
Ways of Knowing and/or the
Areas of Knowledge?
% of people who are “Very
Happy” in America Treatments
1. Has the claim been verified?

2. What methods of verification

have been used?
 $50K-89.9K 42%
3. What Ways of Knowing have
 $90K+ 43% been used?
 D. Kahneman, A. Krueger, D.
4. What Areas of Knowledge are
Schkade, N. Schwarz and A.
involved?
Stone
5. What are the strengths and
limitations of the methods, the
Ways of Knowing and/or the
Areas of Knowledge?
Conclusion