Affluenza Thesis

There are no pure states of mankind. Whatever else happiness may be, it is neither in having nor in being, but in becoming. What the Founding Fathers declared for us as an inherent right, we should do well to remember, was not happiness but the pursuit of happiness. What they might have underlined, could they have foreseen the happiness-market, is the cardinal fact that happiness is in the pursuit itself, in the meaningful pursuit of what is life-engaging and life-revealing, which is to say, in the idea of becoming. A nation is not measured by what it possesses or wants to possess, but by what it wants to become” (Ciardi, par. 10). Even though I disagree most part of his article because it seems like only the Americans always un-happy, and don't know what happiness is. I think not only americans but other country can be un-happy in my own opinion. Despite the article, I really like the last paragraph because it “is not measured by what it possesses or wants to possess, but what it want to become” to be happy. Meanwhile, choosing Aristotle theory to help define happiness to support Dalai Lama and John Ciardi's

Affluenza is a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more. It is a powerful virus that has infected the American society, threatening our wallets, our friendships, our families, our communities, and our environment. Since the United States has become the economic model for most of the world this virus is now flowing freely on every continent. The costs and consequences of this disease are massive even though they are often concealed. Left untreated however, it can cause permanent discontent. Affluenza is based on our culture and how it encourages its citizens to measure their worth by financial success and material possessions. The media such as the

Anyone who kills innocent people should not be able to avoid jail just because their family is rich. Ethan Couch a teenager killed 4 innocent people and injuring 2 of his passengers while driving drunk. For his actions he was supposed to go to jail but instead got probation for being diagnosed with “affluenza.” Which is when someone does not understand or control what they do simply because they come from a rich family. Affluenza is not an acceptable reason for someone to avoid jail time because he is old enough to know what was right or wrong and he is no different from any other kids.

In January of 2015, student athlete Brock Turner sexually assaulted an intoxicated, unconscious woman. In June of 2016, Turner was sentenced to a mere six months in prison. The reasoning of such a short sentence being it would have a “severe impact on him, [and his father argued that] a kid’s life shouldn’t be ruined…because of 20 minutes of action”(Dockterman 2). This argument is one that is often brought up in recent culture. Teens or young adults who are convicted of crimes such as sexual assault, driving under intoxication, or other similar types of crimes are often let off the hook. This defense used is known as “Affluenza”, or, as defined by Matt Gutman of ABC News, the idea of being “too spoiled by [one’s] parents to know right from wrong”(Gutman 2).

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is every person’s god given right, but what exactly is happiness? Americans have fallen in love with the idea of success, we fantasize about cars, clothes and caviar. We want to be living the high life, but the only way to access the high life is to work for it. To climb the ladder of success till you get to the summit. It’s the American Dream, but that’s just it, it’s nothing but a dream, a fantasy. The reality of life is a boring and stressful existence where many of us are just struggling to make a few dollars. It would suffice to say that the American Dream is in all actuality the American Nightmare. The American Nightmare is a pitiful existence inside a self-made

Firstly, I believe that affluenza has impacted our country. Jim Sizemore drew a cartoon depicting a couple lying in their bed, surrounded by material goods, saying “something is missing.” This political cartoon is depicting the American desire of always wanting more. Also, “Money means so many things to us-spiritual as well as temporal-that we are at a loss to know how to hold its majesty at bay…,” (Source F). Lapham is describing how we are very close to letting money and material goods control our lives.

Interestingly, Carnegie drew a distinction between how one gains wealth, and the effect this may have on how he spends his money. There are those who inherit wealth; they are the most likely to spend frivolously. To the contrary, those who earn money through hard work, develop a greater appreciation for money. He further encouraged those with great wealth to “set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance” (Carnegie, 1901). Facets of today’s society can be seen praising pretension, and encouraging flashiness or frivolity. As cultural values change, the

From the beginning of our lives, our parents, for the most part, want us to be happy. Pursuing that happiness becomes a goal that we strive for on an everyday basis. In America, it’s the American Dream. People come to this country in search of that elusive happiness. Ever since Thomas Jefferson wrote a very important sentence in our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Jefferson), our goals have been the same; searching for that happiness no matter what. However, as Ray Bradbury writes, if we focus too much on those aspects that make us

The United States department of commerce found out that the nation is becoming weaker. Economy had increased how consumers blow their paychecks on unnecessary items. For example, many Americans are not able to pay their rent, yet still buy play stations 4 and a 52 inch plasma TV. Most Americans spend money when going to a gas station, in game purchase or paying full price for clothes. People who pay for items in full price should be more responsible with their money. However, Alyssa Battistoni

Happiness is that intangible “something” that all human beings seem to long for from the time they are born. As Thomas Jefferson proclaimed in America’s Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” With the birth of a nation that was founded on the promise of a better life through individual achievement, regardless of social class, the pursuit of happiness has perhaps become synonymous with securing “the American Dream.” The pursuit of happiness and achieving “the American Dream” are entirely different from one person to another. The dream is what

A new has entered the American vocabulary: affluenza. Affluenza is defined as the unsustainable addiction to economic growth. Many scholars, writers, and comedians have made America's affluenza mentality as a warning to the American people, as well as the bud of jokes. Based on human nature, and strive for a more advanced life; Americans are truly people who need more growth. Affluenza is a characteristic that humans have been exemplifying for centuries.

Based on “Webster‘s dictionary definition, affluenza is described as a lack of motivation, feelings of guilt, and a sense of isolation. But what really does this mean? Psychologist G. Dick Miller who defends Ethan Couch, claims that affluenza is “a condition fostered by wealthy and permissive parents who encourage their children to believe normal rules do not apply to the affluent.” If rules don’t apply to higher society and wealthy is an economic addiction or obsession, then how does this impact human society? According to “Washington Post, affluenza affects “young kids or adults in their rich world refering to them as “poor little rich kids”.

The book, Affluenza; All-Consuming Epidemic, De Graaf, Wann, and Naylor refer to comsumerism as a disease, affluenza. Affluenza, meaning placing a high value on obtaining material things in order to help us to feel more affluent, is contagious, which, in turn, has caused negative consequences with our health, families, communities and the environment. This book discusses the symptoms, diagnoses, and cure for the disease known as

America and Money in Modern Society In “The More Factor”, Laurence Shames tries to make relations between the concept of America frontier and with American identity, because he believes that Americans have made the economy as their main frontier and have set it as part of their daily lives for centuries. During the Vietnam war, my family were poor and trying to stay alive luckily that my mom and uncle are mixed race allowed to travel to America. As he states, “Economics has become the metaphor on which we pin our hopes of open space and second chances” (Shames 82). I strongly believe that the concept of “more” is still occurring in today society and culture, but today things are much different than before.

As Austrian writer Marie Von Ebner-Eschenbach wrote,“To be content with little is difficult; to be content with much, impossible.” History and literature have established that the ideal goal every American has wanted is for his thirst for material possessions to be reached, but even then, the individual isn’t truly happy. Money, and the things it can get you, have long been a part of American culture and the materialist culture of society have been examined in numerous ways from novels to the art of those like Andy Warhol. A life free from the economic woes that plague almost everyone seems like the quintessential existence, but material wealth is not a way to mend issues.