1999 The Marlboro Man in Panyu, Guangdong

Where is all this change leading? The Christian Bible contains a book titled Ecclesiastes, said to be written by Solomon, King of Israel,and one of the richest men ever. Among his conclusions was the following: "I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for my labor. Yet when I surveyed all I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11) In North America and Western Europe we have the highest standard of living in the world, practically everything we could ever want. Yet we are still unhappy. Some of the most depressed people in the world are among the world's richest.

The Economist magazine (April 17, 1999, p. 82) agrees with this view. "(E)conomists tend to assume that people are mainly out to improve their material standard of living...Trouble is, there is also evidence that money doesn't make you happier--or not much happier, anyway." The Economist summarizes studies of what determines happiness, and concludes that "Income promotes happiness a bit, but the effect tends to be small and statistically insignificant."

How can this be? As a man's basic needs are satisified, he begins to think about higher things. Many of us come to the conclusion reached by King Solomon: "Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand...and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind?" (Ecclesiastes 5:15-16) As we become rich, we discover that there is more to life than becoming rich. The things we wanted don't really make us happy. Why am I here? What is the purpose of life?

A seller of paintings at the Jinan antique market

Chinese families post the upside-down character for happiness in the hope that happiness will come down on their home.

When people fail to find the answers to these questions, they become depressed. They find no purpose in life. Some turn to drugs or alchohol. Others seek sexual fulfillment that leads to destructive behavior. Others turn to hate or violence. Some seek fulfillment by seeking even more material possessions. For many of us, the door to happiness remains locked. Despite a high standard of living. Despite a successful career. Despite having friends and family who love us. What is the answer? Is there an answer? Click Here if you want to look for the answer. page 1| page 2 | page 3 | page 4 (Previous page)| page 5 (This page) | page 6 (Next page) | page 7 View the guestbook Please sign the guestbook