Does Prosperity Lead to Happiness？

DoesProsperityLeadtoHappiness？Itisgenerallybelievedthatprosperityhasfirmlyassociatedwithhappiness.Formostofus,prosperityisequaltohappiness.Imaginethatself-contentmentwouldjustbeadreamifyouwerebadlypovertystricken,livingbelowthesubsistencestandard.However,somesociologistshavemadereflectionsonthisequalitygenerallyregardedasacommonsense.InTheAffluentSocietypublishedin1958,JohnKennethGalbraithtriedtoofferanewperspectivetowhatseemedaffluentsocietyinAmerican.Trackingbackto20thcentury,weknowthataftertheWorldWarⅡ,thedreadofGreatDepressionwerefadingawayandaeconomicboomfollowed.Nonetheless,theAmericaneconomylookedgoodstatistically,butitdidn’tfeelgood,whichGalbraithattributedtoseveralelements.ToGalbraith,Materialismhadgonemadandwouldbreeddiscontent.Inahigh-speedmodernsociety,weweresurroundedbyvariouskindsofcommoditiesandadvertisements,butlostonwhatweactuallyneedorwant.It’softensaidthatthericharegettingahead,butforeveryoneelsestandingstillorfallingbehind,theystillliveunderthepressuresofthedreamofabetterlifewithaveragewages.Manypeoplefeel‘squeezed’becausetheirrisingincomesoftendon’tsatisfytheirrisingwants—forbiggerhomes,morehealthcare,moreeducation,fasterInternetconnections.Becausesomuchprevioussufferingandsocialconflictsstemmedfrompoverty,thearrivalofwidespreadaffluencesuggestedutopianpossibilities.Butinnocasesshouldweneglecttheconflictsalongwithaffluence.Toconclude,happinessseemsimpossiblewithoutmaterialfoundations,butactuallyhappinessdoesn’tnecessarilycomewithprosperity.