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Comment by brentm | Hacker News Reader

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brentm·

Though without advertising don't we have less jobs and seamingly greater dissatisfaction with lack of income?

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The jobs are abstract time waisters anyhow. Let me surf and hike my days away while the machines toil in the fields.

> without advertising don't we have less jobs?

Yes, like we have less jobs without manufacturing chemical weapons.

> without advertising don't we have seamingly greater dissatisfaction with lack of income?

I don't understand the question.

I've asked academic economists about this, albeit indirectly. I've asked if any studies of the effect of advertising have ever been made, if they've been replicated, etc etc. I tried to vary phrasing, and use the jargon.

I got a lot of "I don't know" and variants. It seems difficult to google up references, because the key words are common words.

It seems like it's the gospel of capitalism (or neo-liberalism?) that has fooled of us that we need more money to be more happy.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/neoliberalism-...

As a loner, one night I was sitting with friends, talking and laughing and I thought "I'm really happy right now! So this is what I've been missing, a social circle!". There are also many articles written about how having a good group of friends improves your health so much as you grow older.

Admiteddly we were sitting in a restaurant, where the food and drink cost money.

Well money does significantly increase happiness, up to a point. The hard part as an individual is recognizing when you have hit that point. If you can realize it, then as your income grows you can avoid increasing spending which means you can save more and spend less years working. Working just to make and spend more money that doesn't substantially increase happiness.

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