Problems with this theory of economic growth
In the short run this seems like a good theory, but in the long run there are some problems with it. First, some people won’t be satisfied with slow steady growth. They will want as much as possible now and will do anything to get what they want. This is because they take happiness to be connected with the things that they get.
And second, when more people have more things eventually we will run out of the materials necessary to make these things as well as suffering pollution and other environmental problems that come as side effects of all this manufacturing. And third, people who are poorer will find themselves marginalized and taken advantage of.
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If we want to really develop a sustainable economy that will serve our children well, I think that we are going to have to examine some of the basic assumptions behind this economic theory. The most important assumption is where do you actually find happiness? Without finding the place where your desires get fulfilled in the deepest sense, people will find themselves getting strung out. As they attempt to get more and more things they will find themselves getting less and less happiness. This is just the opposite of the result that they hope for. They will feel like a donkey chasing a carrot attached to a stick in front of his nose. No matter how hard he tries he never quite gets what he wants.
The reason for this is that happiness does not come from material things. The proof of this is that when you experience happiness you do not experience it in a thing; you experience happiness right in your heart, and that’s the place where it comes from. When you look into it deeply, you find that this happiness was uncaused. It is the thing you were born with and it will be there for you even after you die. It comes from your innate being and that’s why it feels just right. Can you see how profound the discovery of this happiness really is?
Knowing the source of happiness puts objects in proper perspective
With this understanding people will see material things as an aid to help them while they are here on earth, not the end all and be all of life. They will see that the purpose of life is much more profound and beautiful than just obtaining material things. They will then be able to shape the economy as an aid to help people as they search for the reality behind the universe which really causes happiness. The economy will no longer be seen as just a way of making more profits and getting more things.
Right now in our economy the value of a person is based on what he or she has; but then it will be based on what a person is. Then for instance, people will have equal access to healthcare. Access will not be based on how much money a person has and healthcare will not be there as a means of making a profit. Rather it will be there to help everyone live a better life, so that they can obtain their real potential.
As for employment, because of their understanding of where happiness lies, people will need less and will therefore have to work fewer hours. They will then have more time to fulfill their dreams and find the real purpose of their life.
If this vision for an economy seems like a far off dream, it still starts with the first step: informing people about the real place of happiness. Without this knowledge, whatever system we devise will have the same limitations. These limitations are based on greed and the desire for power. But the root of these problems comes from a simple misunderstanding as to where happiness really lies.
The reason the desire for happiness is so great is because it is the desire to return to our boundless Self-Nature. No regulation or commission is strong enough to prevent us from going towards happiness in the place where we think it is. Like a river we will find a way to flow around regulatory obstacles until we get what we want. The drive for happiness is so strong that in the long run it cannot be restrained.
The real purpose of an economy
However, when we finally understand that the happiness we are looking for actually comes from us and not from what we see, our economy will change in ways that we cannot even imagine now. And most important, people will be happier and have a much greater sense of fulfillment. This is the real purpose of an economy, isn’t it?
Feel
free to ask questions
Now I want you to experience your
true identity in its full glory. So please
feel free to continue asking questions. I’m always glad to hear your
reactions and clarify my answers. Unlike the path of faith, on the path
of Self-Knowledge it is curiosity that destroys limitation and allows
you to abide in your natural freedom.
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Best Wishes,
Michael Gluckman
