Often we think if we can just have that one special item then we'd be happy. Whether it is food, clothes, housewares, gadgets or even cars or large houses, consumption is thought to bring happiness and fill a void. Many citizens seek social status and define their self-worth in terms of the quality and quantity of their personal possessions.
The accumulation of goods is a defining characteristic of a consumer lifestyle. "It is often remarked that even the average person in the world's wealthy consumer societies enjoys greater personal comfort and convenience, if not outright wealth, than European monarchs of only a few centuries ago." (Pollution Issues, 2010) This search for immediate gratification comes with consequences, especially in areas, with large populations of people who constantly want the biggest and the best of everything. Filling the psychological void requires resources. These resources are manufactured, packaged and marketed to promise happiness, yet ultimately they all come from and return to the environment. In our search for happiness, it can be useful to distinguish between our needs and our wants.
