Compare and contrast the happiness coming from materialistic and non-materialistic views

The main contributing factors to happiness have been an issue about which there has been a considerable hostile debate. According to a newly-carried out research in Iran, in 2015, it appeared that 70% of people had a materialistic attitude toward happiness. While the rest adopted a non-materialistic view point. Generally speaking, I am quite convinced that there are plenty of similarities as well as some very egregious differences between materialistic and non-materialistic approaches to happiness.

Concerning the similarities between worldly and non-materialistic views, I accept as true that the first and the most noticeable common feature between them is that they both inspire man to peruse happiness in his life. As evident by many people’s main goal of life, happiness can be sought through both worldly and unworldly paths.

Having talked about the similar aspects between materialistic and non-materialistic views towards happiness, now let’s consider their discrepancies. Unlike materialistic approach, which is informed by the availability of various sources of properties in human’s life, the non-materialist is rooted in eschatological aspects. For instance, the house, bought by spending a great deal of money, can lead to happiness. Whereas psychological factors, such as unconditioned love, supportive family, and perfect wellbeing can provide a person with true happiness. Moreover, eschatological perspective varies from worldly standpoint in that the former is deeply inner oriented while the latter is based on the outside rewords. The last but not the least significant dissimilarity between these two issues can be depicted in the everlasting effects of non-materialistic happiness; conversely, felicity created as a result of wealth won’t be longitudinal.

Based on the evidence mentioned above, it is clear that the main differences between materialistic and non-materialistic views of life are mostly reflected in the long term and short term consequences they provide. Yet, their shared feature is that they both create happiness in life. To me, I strongly believe that the contentment considerably comes from the eschatological and spiritual aspects of life.