I agree with many of the sentiments expressed in this article. While I also agree with Faustino that McKinnon's definition of happiness as 'feeling good' is a bit simplistic, I think that McKinnon is on the mark when he asserts that increased wealth, beyond that of material comfort and security, is not the key to happiness - however defined.

While I also take Faustino's point that true happiness is more likely to emanate from self-actualisation (for want of a better term) than from 'external' factors, I think that McKinnon argues successfully why our materialistic culture seems incapable of providing the kind of social climate that is conducive to happiness. IMHO it is no coincidence that depressive illnesses are increasingly prevalent in our society.

From the time that we are born into Australian society, we are enculturated with heavily materialistic values from which we internalise the supposed correlation between wealth and happiness. Any parent knows the pressures induced by sophisticated marketing campaigns, aimed at children, that link happiness and success with the acquisition of the latest fad toy, "happy meal", or expensive electronic widget - and any parent also knows that none of these things brings happiness. Nonetheless, these marketing strategies seem very successful in inculcating the kinds of materialistic values that create good consumers.

I agree also that the national fixation with tax reduction is a crock. Unfortunately, it seems that the current electorate has bought the line peddled by both major political parties that the key to their happiness is (economic) "aspiration", to the detriment of all the other factors that McKinnon cites. In short, we need to refocus our aspirations on 'social capital' - as opposed to blind materialism.

Travelling on the British Airways Concord made me happy. Visiting my father in England every year makes me happy. Flying around the world First Class (on multiple occasions; to America, Spain, Germany, Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Greece, England, Serbia, Portugal, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand) made me happy. Reading new books makes me happy. Buying a new laptop makes me happy. Buying really nice looking home and furniture makes me happy. Going out to dinner in silk pants and Prada shirt a few nights a week; makes me feel happy. I enjoy coming home, messing about on the internet and playing some music (on my $5000 PowerBook), having a fanastic dinner then retreating to the most comfortable couch anyone could ever own and watching "Lost" in High Definintion on a 1920x1200 pixel plasma panel. These things make me feel great. This life is heaven, I couldn't imagine anything better (I don't even have to, that's how good it is). I have great meals; a variety of fruit, vegetables, nuts, breads, meats, basically an abundance of food (I enjoy ALL food; there is nothing I don't eat unless it's low quality and crap like McDonalds). I have a fantastic girlfriend, my health; I swim 2km a day, great sex, great teeth, body etc. All these things cost me a heap of dough, but I love spending, buying and love my life. Given I'm in my twenties, with a little planning (and I'm on track) I should be able to retire when I'm 45 and continue to persue my overseas travel, sport and personal entertainment with even greater vigour. When I look at life as potrayed on TV, it looks like a horrible struggle - so I don't know where the author gets the idea about being flooded by images of perfection. I have zero hardship. I love being alive and I love this capitalist and globalised world I live in.

Money may not buy you happiness but Gee! you sure can be miserable in comfort.
That is one of those 'feel good'silly ideas generally gushed by people who were born with a siver spoon.
To experience real poverty is a soul killing experience. Been there done that.
I always felt that when I touched bottom , there was only one way left to go and that was .....up!
But believe me, poverty will not get you far either.

Silk pants??

Kay - "We go out on the river in our boat every weekend...."

I bet I am even happier than you sailing on my rolled up newspaper through the sewerage dump. ( :P) I guess its "what ever makes you happy", to use an old cliche. Kay I think its great you and your husband lead a happy life due to the more human aspects of life as opposed to the materialistic trappings of the day. I think we are all different in terms of what makes us truly happy, and it's not simply due to having or not having.

Plenty of rich people are still happy and plenty of poor people are still miserable. I am not sure if it all matters much, as long as you feel good within yourself which is easy said than done. If advertising is bullying us into feeling miserable because we don't have a plasma screen, don't let it. Its hard, but I guess we all need to try to build up our own happiness to weather the pressures of everyday life such as bills, martgages, rent rises, Industrial Reforms, etc ;)... oh geeze now I've made myself miserable again. :( :P

Ka(a)y, we lead a simple life with no expensive habits; I walk by the river every day, and this morning in the hills. We feed possums, and have contact with a lot of wild life - in recent weeks I've returned an eel to the river, freed a water dragon from a bird-net, checked out a ringtail with a gammy leg ... not so much the sounds for me, but the broader environment, the peace in the forests, treating both humans and animals as beings worthy of care.

But that doesn't change what I said above!

Faustino