Downsizing the American Dream
As heartbreaking as the job losses and foreclosures are, there is also a bright side to the downward economy — Americans are beginning to see that “less is more.”
Sometimes it takes a catastrophe to create a little growth — cultural growth, instead of economic growth. Instead of our ravenous hunger for more, some Americans are learning that living with less has a lot of rewards even beyond the obvious economic benefits. E.F Schumacher of “Small Is Beautiful” fame wrote, “The less toil there is, the more time and strength is left for artistic creativity.” As we pick up the pieces of our shattered economy, perhaps we can rebuild with a more enlightened idea of how much is enough and a more holistic view of wealth.
