The High Price of Materialism

ISBN: 026211268X

Author: Kasser, Tim

Condition: Used

In The High Price of Materialism, Tim Kasser offers a scientific explanation of howour contemporary culture of consumerism and materialism affects our everyday happiness andpsychological health. Other writers have shown that once we have sufficient food, shelter, andclothing, further material gains do little to improve our well-being. Kasser goes beyond thesefindings to investigate how people's materialistic desires relate to their well-being. He shows thatpeople whose values center on the accumulation of wealth or material possessions face a greater riskof unhappiness, including anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and problems with intimacy --regardless of age, income, or culture.Drawing on a decade's worth of empirical data, Kasser examineswhat happens when we organize our lives around materialistic pursuits. He looks at the effects onour internal experience and interpersonal relationships, as well as on our communities and the worldat large. He shows that materialistic values actually undermine our well-being, as they perpetuatefeelings of insecurity, weaken the ties that bind us, and make us feel less free. Kasser not onlydefines the problem but proposes ways we can change ourselves, our families, and society to becomeless materialistic.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGab38pKscw