Why Its Difficult To Have Happiness In A World Of Consumerism?

I have to admit, the title of this blog post sounds a little too depressing isn't it? Consumerism again, isn't it telling me not to spend too much money to have happiness? Why is life so hard? The fact is, life isn't hard if we know the cycle that makes us unhappy. As humans, ultimately what we do in life is to achieve happiness but somehow, we may unknowingly create unhappiness in our lives instead. Have you wondered why some people are happier than others? Let me show you how does this happen.

Happiness can be explained in psychology. The Mazlow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a popular pyramid diagram which explains the different levels of needs of a human being. The higher we go up the pyramid, the more our needs are met which makes us happy. Here's what the pyramid looks like:

There are five levels:

1. Physiological
2. Safety
3. Love/Belonging
4. Esteem
5. Self-Actualization

Cut the long story short, my point in showing you this pyramid is because unknowingly, humans are stuck at only level 2 of the pyramid which is safety. It is especially true in a world of consumerism where money doesn't seem to be enough always. In fact, people in poorer countries who have the basic food and shelter are happier than people in rich countries. 

The first 2 levels of the pyramid are easy to understand. In the first level, food, shelter, water, sleep are our basic needs. Without these, we will be struggling to survive in life. As humans progress, we get into the second level which is safety. Here, we have a job and we have additional money to do the things we like. The key here is safety where we don't have to worry much about life's basic needs. We then move on to having a family and friendships, achieving more in life in our careers, getting respect from others which boosts our self esteem then to the highest level of self actualisation where we could focus on personal growth. 

Why are we always unhappy?

The world supports us in achieving happiness. In rich cities, everything is quite convenient. We don't just have basic food but exotic dining experiences with different theme restaurants and fine dining food. We have safety in the form of good working environments where we can get a job easily. We have the opportunity to excel and achieve something in our lives so we can be proud of and gain the respect of others. All seems well doesn't it?

However, people in rich cities are still unhappy. They rarely get pass the third level of the pyramid. The pyramid somehow seems stuck at the second level which cause us lots of unhappiness. How could this happen?

There are a few things in life that cause us to be always stuck at the second level of the pyramid. Until we realise how these things in life have been affecting us, we will not be able to proceed up the pyramid to get the happiness we want. So what are these things?

1. Going for too much convenience

Let's face the reality, all of us are in debt or will be in debt one day. Some of us get into more debt because of consumerism. Let me give you an example. Suppose we just started working and received our first paycheck. This adds happiness in our lives as we now have food and also safety in terms of a job and a paycheck. Life is good and one day, we decided its time to buy a house. We look at the houses available and want a house more than just for a shelter over our heads. Maybe we want a house where there are facilities and a security guard. This gives us more security and happiness right? Then, we feel that taking the public transport is too troublesome so we buy a car. A car boost our self esteem and even staying in a condominium gains more respect from others. Friends and family members see that we are successful and we get more happiness.

Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbhthescots/5227664185

The story above all goes well until the pyramid gets chip off at the safety portion. Yes we have self esteem and love/belonging but there comes a problem when we worry about not being able to pay the bills and not being able to provide the basic food on the table because of the high amounts of debt we have to pay every month for the house and car. This instantly drops us back to the bottom of the pyramid and we stay unhappy until situation improves. 

2. Making our life more complicated

Basic food and safety is what makes us happy and progress up the pyramid but we stay stuck and do not progress. We make our life more complicated by going for the latest gadgets and get sucked into the world of consumerism where we feel insecure and guilty after making an impulse spending. This takes away the safety we have and makes us stay unhappy until we get out of it.

No matter how much we earn or how we think how stable our job is, we will always feel the insecurity with too much spending. Spending within our means is ok but overspending quickly becomes a habit which makes our life very complicated. 

Spending Money and Still Be Happy

Some people spend money and feel unhappy, but there are also people who spend money and still are happy. Money can buy happiness but don't allow money to take unhappiness away from you. The key is to spend the money which you have and not the money which you don't have. I have been spending more money and I feel absolutely happy as I know my finances are still in place. I don't have to feel insecure because I spend some money which I don't have. 

Happy or Not comes from our thoughts

On a parting note, our thoughts actually create happiness or unhappiness in our lives. It takes courage to think positive in difficult times. When we see people around us living a good life getting promotions and progressing well in life, we may feel sad at our own lives which has not progressed much. A happy person will take this as a motivation to say I will work harder to progress more and take it as a motivation to improve but at the same time grateful for what he has now. A depressed person will feel lousy about himself and think its impossible for him to have a better life. Same situation but different thoughts lead to different emotions. 

I continue to spend more and live my life to the fullest while progressing in life. Ultimately, our goal is to achieve happiness in our lives so every decision we make (financial or not) should lead to happiness not in the short term but in the long term. Are you making happy long term decisions today?

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Do You Like Your Life? - Appreciate What You Have

Just a few days ago, I saw a comic series on 9gag which to me was surprisingly quite meaningful. 9gag is known for its just for laughs material and some don't really make sense. But this particular comic they shared is certainly not just for laughs. It's titled: "Appreciate what you have".

In life, a lot of people are unhappy. We're unhappy we have to work, we're unhappy we have not enough money, we're unhappy that we can't be better than others. Let me bring you back to the days when you were still a student and let's see what made people unhappy and unappreciative of what they have.

When you're just a student, you probably don't have much material possessions and at that time you hope you'll be able to grow up faster and start earning your own money so you can buy the stuff you like. You may envy others who come from richer families and when your friend shows you the things their parents bought for them, you also wanted it and go back home to try and ask your parents to buy for you.

After you graduate from school and start working, you were initially excited about working and earning your first pay check. However, as time goes by, you start to dread work and the money doesn't really motivate you anymore. You wake up unhappy going to work every single day not knowing that there are other people out there who want to work but don't have a job.

You go to work taking the public transport and one day you missed the bus and will be late for work soon. You get frustrated and thought how good if you had a small car which you can drive around.

Soon, you earn enough money to afford a small second hand car but the air con breaks down a lot of times and its not as comfortable as it seems. You look at the car beside you and thought how good if you can afford a new car.

After a few years, you bought your own new car and am happy with it. However, one day, you see another bigger car beside you and thought how good if you can own a bigger car which is more comfortable. Your car seems to be a little small and squeezy.

Indeed after another few years you manage to buy a bigger car. You feel comfortable and happy. However, one day, you see a very nice car just beside you. You thought cars are not just meant to be comfortable. Its meant to be nice too so it shows your status. Your car seems to be a little dull and boring.

And really, after a few years, you bought that nice, beautiful, comfortable car of your dreams. Then, when you think you won't want more than that again, you got stuck in the same traffic jam and thought how good it is if you can own a helicopter.

Helicopter? How is it possible that someone will be not satisfied to the extent he wants a helicopter for transport. Well, it has happened all over the world before. There are people who own their own helicopters and private jets to travel.

And now, here's the comic from 9GAG. Do you appreciate what you have in life? Being grateful can certainly make our lives happier. Remember while we are enjoying the small pleasures of life, there are other people who are less fortunate than us.

Photo Credit: 9GAG

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Never Be Complacent - Lee Kuan Yew in the 1970s

This whole week, Singapore seem to come to a stand still as the nation mourns on the passing of our first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. The scenes were touching, the support unwavering and the unity is strong. Everyone came or is still coming to express their gratitude in one way or another.

How could one man's death have such a huge impact on a country and even impacted the international realm as well. Former U.S president, Bill Clinton, will be coming with a few other US officials to attend Mr Lee Kuan Yew's funeral service on Sunday. Why did so many people respect him so much?

Photo Credit: Remembering Lee Kuan Yew Facebook Page

This whole week, most of the usual TV programs on all Singapore's media channels were cancelled. Instead, they broadcast documentaries of Singapore's history and how Mr Lee Kuan Yew brought Singapore to this current stage. I've been watching some of these programmes and just a few hours ago, there were a broadcast on Mr Lee Kuan Yew's various speeches from the 1950s all the way to the 1980s. From those speeches, I could really sense his heart for Singapore and his concern for the people of Singapore.

So many people have came to queue up just to pay their last respects to him. People are queuing up for up to 10 hours just to personally pay their respects to him. This is really amazing.

Photo Credit: The Straits times

His Worry For Singapore and it's People

A few issues were brought up in his speeches. Low birth rates and low marriage rates were among the problems that had to be resolved. In 1975, 10 years after independence, there was also complacency seen in the people of Singapore. Life was better, spending habits have changed where people are spending more money. He was worried that parents would pamper their kids too much and spoil them in the process. In 1975, he urged the people not to be complacent and not pamper their kids too much just because they could afford it.

Every year from 1975 onwards, he keep rallying the people of Singapore together and reminded them how far they had come. He keep asking the people of Singapore not to take things for granted as they could lose all these in a very short time. In the late 1970s, he said the current generation have not experienced an economic crisis before but they will experience it soon in the 1980s. He warned and prepared the people for it. I guessed such reminders were taken to heart by Singaporeans back then as Singapore grew even stronger after the crisis.


The Most Touching Speech in 1980

The most touching speech I saw was a PAP rally in 1980. This was the scene which most of us would be familiar with where Mr Lee Kuan Yew said

"This is not a game of cards, this is your life and mine. I've spent a whole life building this and as long as I'm in charged, nobody's going to knock it down". 

What I did not know was what he spoke before this familiar scene. I was watching the whole 20 mins rally and realised he was speaking in the rain.

The rain got heavier and heavier and he was wiping the rain water off his face with his hands as he was speaking. His shirt was all wet. The people who were listening to him speaking still stayed on listening to him in the rain. The other PAP members sitting behind him were in the rain too without umbrellas. Their shirts were also wet and throughout the whole speech, I could see those PAP people behind him also wiping the rain water off their face and some took off their glasses to get rid of the rain water. This was the kind of government which Lee Kuan Yew led and the kind of people we had who could endure and stay united together.

Below is the video of the whole speech. The particular scene is towards the end of the video:

A Frugal Man with a Simple Life

Apart from the firmness and ruling with a iron fist which we know, Mr Lee Kuan Yew was actually just another simple man with a simple life.

I read on the New Paper yesterday that his frugality was well known in Tanjong Pagar where he served the residents for the last few decades.

I quote: "He maximised all resources available and there was never any wastage. Where there was no need for resources, he would never put any there." 

Mr Lee also lived in a modest home. His house is still filled with olden days items dated back to the 1970s and the house remains largely unchanged as compared to the multi-million dollar, multi-storey bungalows that sprang up around it.

You see, a man with great stature and still lives humbly shows that he doesn't need to prove anything. He has got no need or desire to show off what he has achieved. Yet, he has gained the respect of many by staying humble and passionate for a good cause.


The Love Of His Life

As we all know by now, Mr Lee Kuan Yew loved his wife a lot. The death of his wife a few years ago was devastating for him. When his wife was bed ridden but still conscious, he would read to the love of his life every single day. Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said when he was travelling overseas with Mr Lee Kuan Yew for official duties, he still never fail to call back to his home and read to his wife everyday.

Below shows a very touching video of the soft truth of Mr Lee Kuan Yew:

What Can We Learn?

It is heartening to see so many people showing their gratitude to a man whom they may have never even met before. The once often negative landscape of the social media has transformed into a place where people show support and gratitude. I'm sure we are much happier when we think about how fortunate we are to live in a country of peace and prosperity instead of complaining and sinking down into negativity. 

After studying economics in university, I know a country's success or failure does not come by chance. It is the deliberate planning and policy implementations which made Singapore to where it is today. We should never be complacent and take all these for granted. The future of Singapore will depend on all Singaporeans, whether we are still united and stand together as one people and one nation. A divided nation can never survive long. 

The reason why we can live in harmony with each other is because an identity has been built painstakingly by our founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. We should never lose this Singapore identity and I'm glad that we are showing the whole world the strength of our unity at this current moment. May Singapore be an ever greater nation for many generations to come. 

Rest in peace, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. 

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Related Posts: 

1. Singapore Will Survive - ‪#‎ThankyouLKY‬

Financial Expedition (FINEX) 2015 - Learn Finance Through An Amazing Race

Finance is a boring subject to many people. Learning finance seems to be even tougher. But what if I told you today that finance can be learnt in a fun and simple way? I'm partnering Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Interactive investment club to promote a Financial Expedition event which is happening on 17 January 2015.

This is a good chance for all students to learn finance through games and also interact with other people from other Junior Colleges, Polytechnics and Universities. There are attractive prices to be won too. I heard the first price is an iPad Mini. You’ll also get an attractive goodie bag together with a nicely designed event T-shirt.

What is Financial Expedition (FINEX) 2015?

FINEX is a team-based financial expedition challenge for students from Junior Colleges, Polytechnics and Universities to gain financial literacy in an engaging and exciting way. 5 game stations will be set around the Central Business District (CBD) in Singapore and participants can access to simplified virtual marketplace designed by committees.

There are 5 games stations with 1 Finale station. They are really quite creative to come up with the games to inculcate financial literacy. 

1st Station: Shop Smart

2nd Station: Pandora Box

3rd Station: Minesweeper

4th Station: Triopoly

5th Station: Young Warren Buffet

Finale Station: Wolf of Wall Street

I'll not go into the details of the stations itself. You'll find out more about it when you join the event. The finale station is quite interesting where students will get to experience how the trading mechanism works in real life. Those of you who're thinking of trading in the markets, be sure not to miss this one out.  

What will you gain from FINEX 2015?

Not just Financial knowledge, FINEX emphasis on application of financial literacy in our life. Each game station will focus on one specific financial instrument, participants are able to learn the basic knowledge or mechanism of that particular financial instrument, and apply the knowledge gained in the exciting games.

You'll get to learn everything from personal finance to investment to trading. You don't have to have any prior financial knowledge. Just go there and learn while having fun.

Highlights of FINEX 2015

Interested in financial literacy, but have low financial knowledge? We have you covered. This is a great opportunity to kick-start your journey, as FINEX covers basic knowledge and application in real life.

This year, organizing committee initiated the virtual marketplace, where it simulates the trading platform. Not just bid ask price, a candlestick chart and economic news which is updated frequently will also be included. Participants can get a taste of a simplified trading platform.

This simulated marketplace will give you an experience on how the markets actually move.

Below are the details for the event:

Date: 17 January 2015 (Saturday)
Time: 9am – 3pm
Venue: Central Business District

For more info, visit their website: www.finex2015.com 

or Facebook page: www.facebook.com/finex2015

You can register for the event directly from their website. Form a team of 3 and play together with your friends. Meet like minded people from all the other schools along the way too. Register for the event today and enjoy yourselves!

Share it with your friends and get them to come along! 

*This is a sponsored post by NTU Interactive investment club FINEX 2015