Is modern Western culture a health hazard?
Posted: March 24th, 2012, 5:01 pm
Gentlemen, I found a very good article online that breaks down Western culture. This article should/could be used as a solid reference point for debating the merits of 'happier abroad.'
The link to article: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/2/252.full
"One of the most important and growing costs of our modern way of life is ‘cultural fraud’: the promotion of images and ideals of ‘the good life’ that serve the economy but do not meet psychological needs or reflect social realities. To the extent that these images and ideals hold sway over us, they encourage goals and aspirations that are in themselves unhealthy. To the extent that we resist them because they are contrary to our own ethical and social ideals, they are a powerful source of dissonance that is also harmful to health and well-being. "
The link to article: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/2/252.full
"One of the most important and growing costs of our modern way of life is ‘cultural fraud’: the promotion of images and ideals of ‘the good life’ that serve the economy but do not meet psychological needs or reflect social realities. To the extent that these images and ideals hold sway over us, they encourage goals and aspirations that are in themselves unhealthy. To the extent that we resist them because they are contrary to our own ethical and social ideals, they are a powerful source of dissonance that is also harmful to health and well-being. "