I pose the question that what will it take for us, here in the west, change from being so materialistic to finding more happiness within? To me I feel that many of us see the eastern views and appreciate it and either like to think we are doing it now or that we are making moves in that direction. However, it appears that we really are not. What will it take for us to internalize our views? When I think more into it I feel that the more we place happiness into material items the further we become happiness. As if we are developed and made with a natural bliss and we only lose that when we seek for more. We start by just buying a new item. Many of the items we bring into our life bring temporary happiness. Once that starts to fade we start looking for that next “happiness high.” Then over just a few weeks or even just a few days we are back to “boredom.”  Once that happens we try to find something even better then the last item. All this does is have us constantly chasing happiness. It makes me think of a druggy trying to get their next fix. As if it will actually fix something. If many of us a guilty of doing this and still feel overall unhappy then why do we not collectively search for an alternative? Could it be that we do it because we do not feel we will be happy when we look internally and if so why do we feel that way? Or could it be that we have lived in this manner for so long that genetically we are unable to achieve any form of happiness or even to know how to separate ourselves from the physical items around us.