Materialism vs. Happiness

‘A successful man’- What comes to your mind when somebody is referred to in this way ? A rich person, well advanced in his career, owning mansions, a fleet of luxury cars; in other words having more or less everything that money can buy. Most of us equate success with material riches. This is surprising for a country known for its spiritual heritage. The fact that many of the present breed of self-proclaimed godmen are even less spiritually inclined than us, common people is a different story altogether.

Man’s primary quest in life is happiness. His career, his accumulation of wealth, his bungalows, his private jets all signify his pursuit of that elusive animal called happiness. Catch hold of one of these ‘successful’ men and ask him “‘Are you happy?” Invariably he will answer that if he had one more thing he would be happy. He does not realise that when that thing is in his grasp he will want something else to feel happy, it is a never-ending phenomenon.

So what does one do to be happy? Give up all comforts ? Renounce the world ? It is not that one should live a life bereft of all comforts. What one should stop doing is chasing those comforts, considering them the be-all and end-all of life. No matter how many mansions you may own , at a time you can live only in one house (a small room will do), you can use only one car and sleep only on one bed. With all your wealth you may not even be able to enjoy your meal and the pressures and tensions of multiplying your wealth, may be eating away your insides leading to multiple ailments.

Then why this craze for accumulation ? Isn’t it just to show-off to the world ? If I was the only person in the world , all these acquisitions would be meaningless as there would be nobody to impress, nobody who would envy me, nobody to compete with.

Studies conducted have shown that once the basic necessities of life are fulfilled, more money doesn’t necessarily mean more happiness. A poor country like Bhutan measures its progress not by gross domestic product (GDP) but by gross national happiness. America may lead the world in material wealth, but can they be called a happy people ?

In my humble opinion, at the individual level, this is what needs to be done. Take up a career, even a small job will do, in a field that you are interested in. Put in lots of hard work, work diligently, but go about your work without agitation, in a calm and composed manner. Remember a career is not an end in itself but a means to creative, intellectual, monetary and physical satisfaction. Be sure to take time off to be with your family, to watch the sunset, to help a person in need, to pursue other hobbies. Giving up these simple pleasures may mean more money but no happiness.

Don’t hanker after big ticket items just because somebody has them. All the money in the world , driving your competitor out of business, having a bigger car than your neighbour’s will not cause your heart to sing. Happiness is already there inside you. Just make time to realise it.

Author: Pratibha Shenoy (Bangalore)