“In this time and age, consumption is promoted as a directly proportional link to happiness in life… Common people are fed this propaganda that they need to consume more and show more to be respected.”
We are living in the middle of a mass hallucination.
The hallucination is a simple, mathematical lie that we have been fed since birth: Happiness $\propto$ Consumption. We are told that joy is a linear graph—the more you acquire, the happier you become. The more you buy, the more you are “worth.”
But if you look around at the world—at the anxiety-ridden millionaires, the depressed influencers, and the exhausted middle class—you realize the graph isn’t linear. It’s a flatline.
Here is the elucidation of the “Consumption Propaganda” and why living a “rich” life is often the opposite of living a joyful life.
1. The Economic Engine vs. The Human Soul
Why is this propaganda so strong? Because the economy relies on your unhappiness.
If you were perfectly content with what you had right now, the global economy would collapse overnight. Marketing departments, fashion houses, and tech giants have a vested interest in manufacturing inadequacy.
They do not sell products; they sell solutions to problems they created.
They tell you your phone is too slow so you buy the new one.
They tell you your clothes are “out of season” so you buy the new collection.
They tell you your life is boring so you buy the vacation package.
We are not citizens anymore; we are consumers. And a consumer who is “full” is useless to the system. To keep the machine running, you must stay hungry, envious, and perpetually dissatisfied.
2. The Difference Between “Standard of Living” and “Quality of Life”
The text makes a critical distinction: “Accumulating material things… may not lead to a happy and joyful life.”
We often confuse Standard of Living with Quality of Life. They are not the same.
Standard of Living is external. It is the brand of your car, the square footage of your house, and the price of your watch. It is what you show.
Quality of Life is internal. It is your peace of mind, the depth of your relationships, your physical health, and your freedom from anxiety. It is what you feel.
Modern society has tricked us into trading Quality of Life to buy a higher Standard of Living. We work stressful jobs we hate (lowering quality of life) to buy expensive things we don’t need (raising standard of living), hoping the math balances out. It never does.
3. The Status Trap: Buying Respect
The most dangerous part of this propaganda is the link between stuff and status.
“Common people are fed this propaganda that they need to… show more to be respected.”
We are trapped in a cycle of performative wealth. We buy things we don’t want, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like.
This is the “Peacock Effect.” In nature, a peacock displays massive, heavy feathers to attract a mate. The feathers are useless for survival—in fact, they make it harder to fly and escape predators. But they signal status.
Humans do the same. We take on debt (the heavy feathers) to signal success. We drive luxury cars that require expensive maintenance and live in houses that require expensive upkeep. We become slaves to our own possessions. The things you own end up owning you.
4. The Law of Diminishing Returns
The tragedy is that consumption does bring happiness—but only for a moment. This is the Hedonic Treadmill.
When you buy a new car, you get a spike of dopamine. But within a month, the “new car smell” fades. It just becomes “the car.” To get that feeling back, you need to buy something bigger, better, and more expensive.
You are running on a treadmill, sweating and exhausting yourself, but you aren’t moving an inch toward lasting peace.
Conclusion: The Exit Strategy
The quote reminds us that the link between “Rich” and “Happy” is broken.
Real freedom is realizing that you are being marketed to. Real power is looking at an advertisement that tells you “You need this to be happy” and realizing it is a lie.
Respect shouldn’t come from your net worth; it should come from your character.
Status shouldn’t come from what you carry; it should come from what you contribute.
You can choose to step off the treadmill. You can choose to define “rich” not by what you accumulate, but by what you appreciate.
Do read the Disclaimer