The progress paradox

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The progress paradox
This is one of the big American culture paradoxes (Reese 13). In this paradox, the main
focus of the writer is the use of the economic will and financial power of the American people.
The writer argues for the popular belief that money cannot buy happiness. Based on the
researches and surveys that the writer has managed to compile for the last 50 years, the degree of
happiness and satisfaction has not changed for that period of time. Throughout this article, the
writer attempts to show how the materialistic acquisitions has continue to increase yet the
people, for instance the Americans have continued to be an un happy lot (Schwartz 34).
The incomes of the American people have continued to improve over the last few years.
despite this fact, there is still wide spread complains from the American workers on the poor
wages and the gap between the rich and the poor. Most of the American people to day live on
incomes that their fore fathers would have considered a pipe dream. It is noted that there today
more demonstrations and debates on the average American person than in the past. Another
aspect that has improved throughout this time is Medicare. In the current society, there is at least
a drug for everything (Edwards 34). For the men who are not naturally masculine, there are drugs
availed for that. Similarly, for women who need a curvy body, there are drugs and injections to
boost their curves. For those who are not able to obtain any sleep, pills have been made. Despite
all these, there still complains on the poor state of the American people. The poor health is
instead blamed on the junk foods that importantly to note, are very expensive. Pollution and 
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global warming are other factors that have led to the poor health of the American people. The
pollution is mainly from the industries that over the decades have made America one of the
economic power houses. The housing section has also improved drastically over the years yet the
American majority still complains of poor housing. America today has one of the best
architectural designs. Houses even in the so called slums have been made to be able to warm and
cool depending on the temperatures outside. Trash from the American homes don’t have to be
carried around, they are just slid through ducts (Reese 35) .
The above examples clearly show how money cannot actually by happiness. Throughout
this chapter, the author tries to show how people in the western word live lavishly under
opulence yet they remain unhappy than the people in the underdeveloped world. They actually
take the luxuries that they have for granted. A keen look at all of the above aspects that have
been implied by the author of the progress paradox can prove the contrary (Edwards 45) .
From the chapter on the paradox of progress, in an average house in America, there are
5.3 rooms for about 2.6 people. This implies that each American has an average of 2 rooms for
his or herself. To build, rent or mortgage such a house, one requires hundreds of thousands of
American dollars as at least yearly income. Americans who make such amounts of money on a
yearly basis are considered wealthy and rich and should be able to buy happiness (Schwartz 16).
Based on this fact, it is quite amazing to find that there are still homeless people in America.
Numerous cases of teenagers running away from their homes (where they have two bedrooms for
themselves) that they are unhappy. In most cases, their main issue of concern is the in figment of
their privacy and freedoms. This children end up in social services centers claiming that they are
mistreated in their homes. In these social centers, their right to privacy and freedom is actually 
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lost. They share rooms and bathrooms. Their movements are always monitored and as far as the
author is concerned this is s distressed life (Gillon 52).
In the contrary, there is a lot of happiness that come with having to rooms for oneself. It
is important to note that there are some instances where some people seem to be dissatisfied with
this particular aspect of having two rooms to oneself. These cases are few and countable and in
most cases are teenagers who are still struggling to get their identity in the society. In most
normal cases, having an average of two rooms to one’s self has a lot of pleasures and happiness
that can be derived (Schwartz 26). One of the happiness and privileges is a lot of privacy. When
everybody has two rooms to his or herself, there is no reason for one person to go to the others
room. Through this, one is able to arrange and maintain the room the way he or she wants. A
degree of personal order goes a very long way to make one very happy. Cleanliness can be easily
maintained and that makes anybody happy. Having two rooms also enables one to be selfcontained in that one can do everything within the confi