Money can’t buy happiness

Posted by Ricki Sharpe on February 9, 2008  
Filed Under Current Reading, General

Money can’t buy happiness, and Tim Kasser has the evidence to prove it. Tim Kasser is Associate Professor of Psychology at Knox College(US), author of The High Price of Materialism and co-author of Psychology and Consumer Culture. In a recent lecture to the Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce(UK), he promoted his explanation of how our contemporary culture of consumerism and materialism affects our everyday happiness and psychological health.

Drawing on an impressive range of studies, Kasser argues that a consumer society encourages people to take on materialistic values that result in lower personal well-being, less positive social behaviour, and more ecologically damaging lifestyles.

Kasser supports a reduced emphasis on materialistic values as a method to heighten the well-being of individuals, communities and the world at large.

He cites studies that demonstrate how policies that support people’s intrinsic values are a better choice to enhance well-being and promote environmental sustainability.

Full lecture and Q&A (mp3 14mb)


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