In this podcast excerpt, host Speaker A and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz discuss the relationship between money, consumerism, and well‑being. They begin by linking financial stress to disease, noting that anxiety over money can manifest as physical illness. The conversation shifts to the cultural pressure to constantly acquire more, especially in the United States, which Michalowicz describes as the world’s biggest consumer society. He shares his personal experience of early wealth, the urge to display status through possessions, and the fleeting dopamine rush that new purchases provide. Michalowicz argues that true happiness is not derived from material excess but from community, health, togetherness, and contribution. He references Bhutan’s shift from Gross Domestic Product to Gross National Happiness as an example of a society that measures well‑being rather than consumption. The dialogue concludes with the idea that self‑awareness—recognizing the addictive nature of novelty and reducing comparison—can lessen the need for excess spending and lead to lasting joy.
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You mentioned disease and a lot of times disease is spawned by stress and stress is spawned by our financial struggles a lot of the time.
Yeah. It may even reduce some of that. Yeah, yeah. It's unbelievable. The mind has such power over the body.
Yeah.
And I think a lot of that would go away.
Something a little off topic. A little. Just. I'm, I'm curious. What do you think about our need to maybe take the heat down on our wants in general? I mean, is there any point in practicing, I don't know, meditation or anything that would bring down. Because we are a consumerist society and it drives us in ways that sometimes is really bad for us spending money we don't have to spend.
Yeah.
Do you think it's worth addressing those impulses in us that make us want and make us want to consume?
In all my travel so far and it hasn't been that extensive, but I've traveled most of the modern world.
Yeah.
US is the biggest consumer society by far.
Oh God. We want it all, all the time and we want it here.
It's the one, it's the bigger. That is a cultural shift that needs to happen. I think what we can do is have a self awareness that no one cares about what you got or have ever as much as you do.
Yeah.
I had early financial gains when I was very young, became a self made millionaire in my early 30s and thought, oh, look at how great I am. No one gives a crap. And then what I try to do is express how important I was by showing my stuff. Look, I got cards. I got lots of cards and they're fast and cool. Look at the house. I'm going to Hawaii on a sabbatical. Everyone pay attention. Everyone's like, whatever. That, that comparative. I think removing ourself from comparison I think is the first step to healing. I know an article about the happiest society. I think it was Nepal or Bhutan. Maybe it was Bhutan and the prime minister or president or I don't know, emperor. I don't even know what their title is, said we're gonna stop measuring gross domestic product, we're gonna start measuring gross national happiness. First country ever to do that. And they've actively done things that have brought about happiness. Happiness is about, surprisingly, not surprisingly, community, health, activity, togetherness, connection. Not about bigger house, faster car. The problem, I think in the US again is a drug addiction to dopamine and serotonin and all these different things. When I do get the new car, there's excitement for a couple hours. You know, I'm going out there, I flip through the manual and the first time for the drive and the new car smell.
Yeah.
A certain point, it becomes rote.
Yeah.
So there's this addiction that I have to the new. And so it's. It's trying to get to a more sophisticated awareness that that stuff. That's a quick dopamine, that's a drug addiction. What it is is togetherness and presence and contribution.
Yeah.
That's where real joy comes from.
The lasting stuff.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thank you. And hopefully then the. The need for money is. Is maybe for some essential living components, but not for this excess.
