ABSTRACT
Americans live in a materialistic society. If popular culture is any indication, citizens of the United States value making money, acquiring material goods, and living a comfortable life above most other matters. In this, they are probably not different from the rest of the world. History suggests, however, that Americans might be more interested in the commodities associated with the “good life” than other societies. Since its establishment, this country has been fortunate in achieving a high standard of living. Some critics comment that the abundance of material goods has produced the contemporary syndrome of “affluenza,” in which too much focus is placed on what we will have rather than what we will be as a nation.
