Jay Sherman comments : I think it's a basic fact, (in this world), that no matter what, the majority of people will more or less always be living paycheck to paycheck. Currently that is accomplished in part because they waste their money on many silly things. But if instead everybody became suddenly more frugal, then certain products would no longer be made available to buy and the remaining necessities that people still did buy, would simply cost much more. And then with nobody suffering from "Affluenza", people would barely be making it from paycheck to paycheck while only buying bread and eating the potatoes they planted out back. Therefore it is a very good thing that the majority of people do work 40, 50, 60 hours a week so they can buy minivans and eat out all the time. Well. It's good for me that they do that. Especially since I personally try not to. The other solution would be to cure the greedy bastards at the top of their "affluenza", then it would no longer be a basic truth that the majority of people will just survive paycheck to paycheck. But I think no matter what, some people will always suffer from excessive greed and such people always end up with the money and the power, simply because they strive for such things much more than others. Only less capitalism can slow them down.
Manjula comments : Affluenza in people does affect others in the lives of such people. Best part is many do not even recognise any fault in it and happily lead their little children into it too.
Interestingly, some communities are more affected by it than others. In India, north Indians seem to suffer more from such symptoms than the South Indians. South Indians are rich but they live simple life. I love their way of living, traditional, disciplined and strict in some ways. My families from Punjab compete for everything their neighbour or relative buys :)
