Desire is the source of all suffering

Why living in a rich society makes us feel poor.


Put the question another way, however, and we seem a little less certain. Consider a choice between these two worlds:

World A: You earn $110,000 per year, others earn $200,000.

World B: You earn $100,000 per year, others earn $85,000.

The income figures represent real purchasing power. Your income in World A would command a house 10 percent larger than the one you could afford in World B, 10 percent more restaurant dinners and so on. By choosing World B, you’d give up a small amount of absolute income in return for a large increase in relative income.

So which would you pick? A majority of Americans, it turns out, choose World B.

Don’t forget to vote in the newest Alternate.org survey, answer #3 submitted by Phil. Via Kottke.

• Category: Music