Happiness is something when you know that you have a future to live on.

Edited by tamte - 24 April 2012 at 18:27

Originally posted by tamte Happiness is something when you know that you have a future to live on. Basic things, family, work, retirement plan, home. Something educative to do your sparetime (something else than drinking and trying to forget the miserable life) And you feel good on what you are doing.

Whoa! You're opening a can of worms now. Your answer leads to a deeper question: "What is the meaning of life?" And frankly, your answer may vary widely depending on your religious beliefs (or lack thereof.) Most biologists would say life has no real meaning, that "it is just there." So, it's actually you that make your life meaningful.

Point being: if life has no real meaning, and it is you who assign a meaning to it, what's the difference between spending your whole money drinking or helping the poor?

Originally posted by Megabyte Originally posted by cara0910 Originally posted by tamte Happiness is something when you know that you have a future to live on. Basic things, family, work, retirement plan, home. Something educative to do your sparetime (something else than drinking and trying to forget the miserable life) And you feel good on what you are doing.   Simple, to have life in good track, it is not all about the money, which Brazilians seems to be thinking, only...   I was happy where I was born, I was happy in the USofA (knowing that I didn't have to live there for the rest of my life), I'm happy now here in Brazil. To live happily in Brazil means a lot of flexibility and adjustability. It is not about the money. Of course you need little bit to get food etc, but not tons of it. Brazilians seems to be thinking that the more you earn the more you need to steal (to be happy?)           The most disappointing thing about living in Rio was how insanely materialistic and money-focused everybody was. There are very few post-modern-type people who are more concerned with things other than money. I think it has to do with Brazil's recent rise into the "second world" and the large wealth gap. Everybody is concerned with "making it big." It's quite depressing. But so aren't many people in the US? If consuming 50% of the planet's resources alone isn't materialism, then what is it?

That comment shows you have a misunderstanding of where those resources go. Many are not due to any differing behavior, but rather to differences in infrastructure, agriculture, etc.

Everything in the US economy relies on oil, long-distance transport, etc. That consumes a lot of energy.

Many cariocas are far more into material wealth than the people I grew up with. That said, in my hometown in the US, we still probably consume more resources, as our food is grown using industrial agricultural techniques, everything is shipped to us from abroad or afar, we live in a cold environment and hence use a lot of fuel, our inrastructure demands that we drive much more than those in bigger cities, etc.

Brazil is undergoing a huge economic boom. The mentality is similar to the way Americans felt in the 1950s. "Wealth will fix our problems," or "I can buy more, therefore I am happier."

That type of thinking grows day by day in Brazil. On the other hand, it is challenged every day in the US by people who are fed up with consumer culture. The US is home to many eco-communities, local food movements, etc.

Most Brazilians don't have to think about local food. They are just undergoing full industrialization of the food chain, manufacturing, etc.

So, that is reflected in the mindset. Brazilians are in the modernist-second-world phase of intellectual/cultural development. In fact, in the recent past, Brazil was far less consumer-oriented than it is today. Now, consumerism has taken hold, and things are only going to get worse.

Originally posted by Megabyte Originally posted by cara0910 Brazil is undergoing a huge economic boom. The mentality is similar to the way Americans felt in the 1950s. "Wealth will fix our problems," or "I can buy more, therefore I am happier." That type of thinking grows day by day in Brazil. On the other hand, it is challenged every day in the US by people who are fed up with consumer culture. The US is home to many eco-communities, local food movements, etc. Most Brazilians don't have to think about local food. They are just undergoing full industrialization of the food chain, manufacturing, etc. So, you're basically saying that 1950s America had a materialistic mentality, saying it is being questioned now in the US, and you blame Rio for having that old mentality? Now, I know better we're stupid enough not to learn from other countries' mistakes, but who are you to judge? Also, even though consumerism is being questioned in US economy of today, the US government has not signed the Kyoto protocol, has it? Let's not forget about the old coal technology and nuclear plants you're so reluctant to get rid of. To finish this post, I'll post a video that reflects an American materialistic culture that is alive and kicking, "thank you very much," and another that shows that there are people in Brazilian society that do care about the dangers of materialism. The high-price of materialism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGab38pKscw Individualismo e o meio-ambiente http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy5VFibArCo

I never said anything that was judgmental of Brazil. I said that I don't want to live in Rio surrounded by absurdly wealth people who only care about themselves and poor people who think "making it" means becoming absurdly wealthy so they can buy $500 shoes and run people over like the wealthy do.

The Kyoto protocol? You are referring to the US government, not the people. Furthermore, I didn't say that all Americans were like this. I said there were significant pockets of people who are anti-materialist.

Third, the Kyoto protocol is a bogus attempt at staving off a far more serious problem. I don't support it as it merely pays lip-service to global warming. It's worse than doing nothing as it fools people into thinking something is being done.

In case you didn't know, the much of modern environmentalism arose out of the United States of America. Start reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmentalism#History
I have a degree in Environmental History.

You "proved" that America is materialistic by posting a video made by an American describing the ills of materialism? Hahahaha! My point was: there is a strong anti-consumerist anti-materialist movement in the US.

As I said, I think this type of mentality is actually being quickly eroded in Brazil as many see the chance to move into the "middle class."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_food - An example of the type of topic people discuss in the US. In Brazil, agriculture is just industrializing. Brazil has its eyes on the "benefits" of industrialized agriculture.

Edited by cara0910 - 24 April 2012 at 23:31

Originally posted by cara0910 I never said anything that was judgmental of Brazil. I said that I don't want to live in Rio surrounded by absurdly wealth people who only care about themselves and poor people who think "making it" means becoming absurdly wealthy so they can buy $500 shoes and run people over like the wealthy do.

yeah, that's life. What do you live on a computer 24/?


The Kyoto protocol? You are referring to the US government, not the people. Furthermore, I didn't say that all Americans were like this. I said there were significant pockets of people who are anti-materialist.

Kyoto is so 2000. Move forward young man.

Third, the Kyoto protocol is a bogus attempt at staving off a far more serious problem. I don't support it as it merely pays lip-service to global warming. It's worse than doing nothing as it fools people into thinking something is being done.

Kyoto again.. give it a rest. That is passé. Nobody cares. You may not "support" it, but you quote it a lot.


In case you didn't know, the much of modern environmentalism arose out of the United States of America. Start reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmentalism#History
I have a degree in Environmental History.

You "proved" that America is materialistic by posting a video made by an American describing the ills of materialism? Hahahaha! My point was: there is a strong anti-consumerist anti-materialist movement in the US.

As I said, I think this type of mentality is actually being quickly eroded in Brazil as many see the chance to move into the "middle class."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_food - An example of the type of topic people discuss in the US. In Brazil, agriculture is just industrializing. Brazil has its eyes on the "benefits" of industrialized agriculture.

Cara -- go to bed or get off the computer. Find some games to play.
Good God.. as Grads said, everything you "jorrar" is based on YOUR experiences only. I haven't read anything here that was indicative of behavior at a national level.