1 John 2:15-17 - Do not
love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--
the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in
possessions-- is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the
world is passing along with its desires...
The ultimate goal of capitalism is
profit, 100% profit. Basically, you give
up nothing and get something in return, or, you give up something of lesser
value in exchange for something more valuable.
Capitalism is designed around profit and then more profit. As if “profit” is some abstract, immeasurable,
infinite thing everyone can get. That’s where
there is a problem though; profit of any kind is always very finite, whether
that is some kind of material, object, or currency. You don’t “create” profit; it’s there for the
taking. Capitalism is based around the
fallacious idea that anybody can be rich if they work hard enough. In order to become rich, one must take
money/resources from someone else first by means of selling a product, a
service, taxation, etc… The rich cannot
exist without the poor and vice versa.
It’s all about the balance of resources (or imbalance, if you will). That isn’t the issue at hand here, though, because
I am no economy guru. In fact, the
concepts I (think I) understand in the business context are very basic at
best. Most importantly, I question, how
does this fundamental model of capitalism reflect in western society’s lifestyle? Is it good?
Is it bad? How has it affected
our psyche?
The business model of capitalism is
“more, more, more... never-ending more,” and the psychological model matches that
exactly. This capitalistic train of thought
has infected our minds, producing a very negative affect on our psyche. More clothes, more
technology, more money, plainly stated… more STUFF. I see
so many people who always want more “things” and, quite frankly, that’s where
the main focus of their life resides.
Can one ever be TRULY happy if he/she always wants more? I would answer no, absolutely not. Happiness via materials/resources is only a very superficial and shallow form of happiness. I say that because in order for a person to
be truly happy, there needs to be some level of complacency. All caps and bold letters may help get one
message across that should be taken from this not-so-well-organized rant: IF YOU
ALWAYS WANT MORE, YOU’LL CONTINUE TO WANT MORE UNTIL YOUR LAST BREATH. Is that how you picture happiness to be? Wanting more never yields true happiness.
As materialism and the capitalistic mindset thrive,
depression rates are also at an all-time high.
Nearly 10% of the American adult population has been diagnosed with clinical depression. Now, I see a lot
of luxury vehicles and an abundance of people that have a considerable amount of “things.” The fact that 1 out of every 10 adults has been diagnosed with depression (not
to mention an X amount of adults who haven’t pursued professional help) shows
me that “more, more, more” isn’t the real pursuit of happiness. Also, one of the main causes of depression is
stress and nearly 75% of adults who report experiencing extreme stress say it is due to financial woes and worries. Do you see the correlation here? I’d
argue that to genuinely achieve happiness, one must redirect his/her VALUES
away from VALUABLES.
Simply put, appreciate the small things or, as
I’ve blogged previously, the little miracles.
Love, family, friends, food, water, this wonderful day, the very
breath you take, and the simple necessities the Lord has given us to survive. Be grateful for the many things you often take for granted. Then, my friends, you’ll find true happiness
and an honorably profitable state of mind.
Until next time…
Check me out on twitter:
@PrallyD
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