Paradox of Affluence

Paradox of Affluence

When researchers explain the paradox of affluence they are referring to the difference between material well-being and mental health well-being or happiness and the fact that it is difficult to decipher in American culture. The percentage of Americans reporting that they are very happy has remained relatively fixed at about 30% from the 1950s through the 1990s (Myers, 2000a). Most Americans are richer, but not happier than in the past. Measurement of happiness may be even more complex. Some have argued that we can't trust people to rate their own happiness that people do in fact get happier as they get richer. When it comes to happiness and wealth Maslow insists that the urge for self-actualization is deeply entrenched in the human psyche, but only surfaces once the more basic needs are fulfilled. When researching how happiness and wealth relate to Maslow's hierarchy of needs I found that there are some similarities in them. The stages of the hierarchy are: Physiological needs, the most basic needs, like air, water, warmth, food, sleep, and sex; Safety needs, protection from elements, security, order, law, limits, stability, and Love and belongingness, which is the need to obtain and give affection. Esteem, self-esteem, achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, managerial responsibility and the last stage is Self-actualization, which refers to realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, seeking personal growth and peak experiences, which means a person, can only become happier as they progress in their lives. The last two stages in the hierarchy are the two you will find that closely relate to the paradox of affluence. I found that when a person reaches the last two stages of the hierarchy they will most likely find that material belongings will only satisfy basic essentials and not a sense of well-being or happiness.