In pursuit of our illusions
we set up unreal goals —
that is, goals which if achieved
would, we believe, automatically
set us free, restore our right to
self-expression, and make us
capable of loving.
What is unreal is not the goal
but the reward that is supposed
to follow from its achievement.
Among the goals so many of us
pursue relentlessly are wealth,
success and fame.
In our culture there is a mystique
about being rich. We divide people
into the “have” and the “have-nots.”
We believe the rich are privileged in
that they have the means to fulfill
their desires and therefore to realize
themselves.
Unfortunately for many people it
doesn’t work out that way.
The rich, as well as the poor,
get depressed.
No amount of money can provide
the inner satisfaction that alone
makes life worth living.
In most cases the drive to gain
wealth diverts energy from
activities that are more creative
and self-expressive, resulting in
an impoverishment of the spirit.
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~ Alexander Lowen, Depression and the Body (1972)
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