MATERIALISM LEADS TO UNHAPPINESS

Shuchen Zhang

Danqing Xie

Fengzhu Shan

THE METHOD OF CRITICAL READING

STEP 1: Open Reading

STEP 2: Closer Reading

STEP 3 ： Careful Reading & Annotation

THESIS

Materialism can not fulfill people’s needs.

Materialistic values lead people to organize their lives in ways that do a poor job of satisfying their needs, and it is painful.

MAIN POINT THAT SUPPORT THE THESIS

Materialism is good, BUT the author said that

materialism leads to unhappiness

In the face of messages glorifying the path of consumption and wealth, all of us to some extent take on or internalize materialistic values. That is, we incorporate the messages of consumer society into our own value and belief systems.

EXAMPLES

Ex1.

If I am hungry, my need for sustenance motivates me to eat. However, many of my body’s physical needs for certain nutrients would remain un fulfilled, and health would surely suffer.

Ex2: Material person values material wealth more than helping others likely to seek out a high-paying job high-status job

less material person Opposite

accept a lower-paying jobif it will benefits others

These unmet needs thus lead people to be unhappy and to develop materialistic values.

EX3. Extremely hungry man, Utopia can be defined simply as a place where there is plenty of food. He tends to think that, if only he guaranteed food for the rest of his life, he will be perfectly happy and will never want anything more.

MATERIALISM LEADS TO UNHAPPINESS & INTO THE WILD

Into the wild Christopher was no a

materialism. Christopher was

unhappy in his family, although he had money and cars.

his dream is going to Alaska. To find freedom

Christopher was unhappy in his family, although he had money and cars.

he fled from his family. And burned his all money

On the way, his went to Alaska, he made a lot of friends.

He had a happy time!

CONCLUSION

people will feel unhappy when their needs can not be fulfill or they are not well satisfied

Materialism leads the difference in consumer culture.