The Pursuit of Material Prosperity

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN TAIWAN

‘MONEY can’t buy happiness!’ Even though most people more or less agree with that statement, many of them are still relentlessly pursuing material riches as a way to a happier life. And why not? After all, it seems that the solution to so many of mankind’s problems lies in material success and prosperity.

Just imagine what a different world it would be if every man, woman, and child enjoyed a materially prosperous life! Gone would be the indignities and the sufferings of the millions who live in the world’s slums and ghettos. Gone, too, would be the problem of homelessness now plaguing every nation, rich and poor.

And what about good health, so vital to happiness? Though medical science is moving ahead by leaps and bounds, more and more people are finding out that they can ill afford its services. On the other hand, hunger and malnutrition are still the daily experience of millions. If prosperity prevailed worldwide, everyone would have the opportunity to live healthier, and thus happier, lives​—would they not?

Even the earth itself would benefit. How? The earth’s environment is now being ruined by deadly pollutants, caused partly by the burning of fossil fuels. Yet, one reason cited for not pursuing the technology needed to utilize cleaner forms of energy is that it is too expensive. The destruction of the rain forests, another serious ecological threat, is also blamed largely on economic factors.

Since material prosperity could seemingly solve so many of our problems and alleviate so much suffering, it is no wonder that people have long associated wealth with happiness. For example, whereas Westerners customarily greet one another with a “Happy New Year!” on New Year’s Day, the Chinese, during the lunar New Year, traditionally say “Kung hsi fa tsai” to one another, wishing that they will ‘strike it rich!’ Yes, there is no denying that we live in a world in which people give the pursuit of material prosperity a very high, if not the highest, priority. Success or failure is often measured with a material yardstick.

While the acquisition and enjoyment of material things is not necessarily wrong in itself, can it guarantee happiness? How much importance should be attached to it? Is material prosperity really the key to a better world?