Many people live their lives clamouring for the unattainable. They wish to lead a life of luxury, but yet they inevitably end up living a life of regrets. The high-life is nothing but an endless pursuit of material gratification, a futile attempt at mimicking the lifestyles of the rich and famous; Human greed is insatiable. There’s a Chinese adage that goes like this: As we enter this world with no possessions, we would also depart without them.

In today’s wealth-centric societies, it’s unfortunate that it has become imperative for one to realize the dream of living it up. But while one can actively seek out the attainment of material extravagance, one can similarly achieve the mental discipline to find satisfaction in the status quo. It is the latter of the two that I can identify myself with.

Critics may classify such behaviour as unaspiring, but a distinction has to be drawn between material and psychological gratification. I don’t deny that they are interdependent, but to some degree, the fullfilment of one can be achieved independently of the other. This brings us to the age-old question: Can money buy happiness? But I’m going to alter it such that it becomes more relevant to our issue at hand: Can happiness be bought without (much) money? The answer is yes.

I’m not a person with his head in the clouds; I’m pretty sure I have both my feet firmly on solid ground. In fact, I believe that money is a necessity. It’s nearly impossible to survive in today’s world without some form of income. But human greed once again rears its ugly head as people sink into decadence. Human nature decrees that while we have limited needs, we tend to have unlimited wants. And it is this immeasurable desire for material gratification that should be curtailed.

The quest for material comfort is an never-ending one, something I find so important that it bears repeating. So instead on embarking one, why not direct these efforts at socially beneficial causes? I’m not imploring for one to give up his worldly possessions, but to reduce his need to derive satisfaction from material luxury. Most certainly, this is no easy task as humans are fundamentally variable and complex creatures, and environmental influences further complicate matters.

I’m strongly of the view that excessive material pursuit is futile. Contentment is finding happiness in what you do each day, regardless of your wealth status. This could be perhaps due to external influence but I wonder if it could be hard-coded too; some people just have a higher propensity to spend on material goods than others. However, thrift is a virtue and it should be inculcated from young.

Parents tend to overindulge their children because they wish for them to lead better lives than to follow in their footsteps. Carl Jung alludes: “Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially on their children than the unlived life of the parent.” Today, thrift seems to be on the decline with an increasing emphasis on material gratification. The present generation is unfortunately falling prey to an era of conspicuous consumption.

Thriftiness does not require one to be a scrooge but to have effective resource management to achieve maximum value. The trouble is that this value perception is relative and fluctuates with the changing circumstances. Mental discipline hence entails delineating a reasonable value limit and not allowing it to skyrocket. While such self-control is hard to achieve, it is definitely attainable. There have been a handful of individuals whom I have had the pleasure of knowing who are able to will themselves to exercise such self-restraint.

In my case, I’m blessed enough to grow up in a humble environment where my parents extol the virtues of frugality and shun debauchery. I’m fortunate that I needn’t much mental strength to overcome the temptations of material pursuit. But for the common man, here’s my recommendation: Do something with a long-lasting positive impact because long after you are gone, history will not remember you for what you have had in your possession, but what you had done for your community.