Abundance Analysis

Pink's amazed interest reveals his view of Americans being more obsessed with material possessions currently than they were dependant on necessities in the past. Pink uses the example of people buying candles for light before light bulbs were invented, however, 2.4 billion dollars a year are still spend on candles. Although candles have no real use to Americans currently, they still purchase them for scents and beauty for the buildings they spend time at. This leads to the thought of Americans being too concerned with how products will effect their status in the world rather than how the products will be beneficial to their needs. Pink's second example is introduced when he says, "while living standards have risen steadily decade after decade, personal, family, and life satisfaction haven't budged." This statement provokes a slightly different view of the obsession with material things. Pink is saying that by purchasing many material things, and planning for these things to bring happiness, these possessions in the end have not been beneficial to happiness at all. Since Americans have access to the necessities needed to survive, they have begun looking for even more things that will bring purpose or satisfaction to their lives. I agree with Pink's view of Americans which leads me to ask the question, if it came down to a necessity or a desirable, which would the majority of us choose?