[BigBobber]

"Materialism is toxic for happiness," says University of Illinois psychologist Ed Diener. Even rich materialists aren't as happy as those who care less about getting and spending.

Then people in the Third World should be happy. How come they're not?

[Buffalo Head]

"Then people in the Third World should be happy. How come they're not?"

I believe that most folks happiness is in direct proportion to the amount of happieness they create for others.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Then people in the Third World should be happy. How come they're not?

Because materialism isn't the simple act of owning material things. It is the quest for material things.

Perhaps they are happy. I'm sure there are some necessities that would make their lives easier but that may have no bearing on whether they are happy or not.