- Hailey McRea – In “Reporting Live from Tomorrow,” the author Daniel Gilbert discusses the idea of society mistaking wealth and materialistic possessions for happiness. I agree with this statement wholly, especially in today’s day and age. I think Gilbert makes an excellent and thought provoking point by stating, “People who live in poor nations are much less happy than people who live in moderately wealthy nations, but people who live in moderately wealthy nations are not much less happy than people who live in extremely wealthy nations (page 182). This statement is so prevailing because it accurately depicts how society is so obsessed with wealth that they believe it will bring them happiness. This turns out to be the exact opposite, given that people living in the most wealthy nations are not happy at all. This comes to show the unrealistic expectation society has for wealth and materialistic items. Society is somehow tricked into believing that having more money will bring them more happiness, which is not the truth. Gilbert alludes to Adam Smith when supporting his point and discusses Smith’s idea that society has no limit to the amount of materialistic items or wealth they strive to have, and that they are deluded in their thinking. I believe the word delusion is the perfect word to describe this phenomenon, as society is completely over their heads in believing wealth brings happiness when it really does not.
