Evolution of the Self

Society in current form needs people like that. Their destructive drive to make money has positive some positive aspects (jobs, inventions, etc) Your articles seem to be very one sided while the goal should be balance.

Thank you for this insightful article on the emotional emptiness that accompanies an insatiable desire for the material/extrinsic rewards of achievement. Although I am not as materially successful as those persons mentioned in the article, it was nevertheless a good reminder for me to focus on the intrinsic rewards in all areas of my life.

In response to the prior anonymous comment: The article didn't attack achievement obtained, or drive exercised, in pursuit of intrinsic values, even if that leads to material abundance (for instance - Steve Jobs)... it warned of the emotional emptiness of insatiable materialistic greed. No society I want to be a part of "needs" the latter... - and the author on his own blog doesn't need to seek "balance" in expressing his opinion on this issue.

are not obsessively questing after wealth but after a stable life. The way our system works you need a certain income to have a roof over your head, food in your stomach, decent schools for your children and medical care when you need it. Most jobs do not provide these bare necessities, and so people have to strive for a better job if they want to get them. Better-paying jobs often bring more stress and longer hours, less time to do the important things like spend time with friends. If you try to step off the rat race wheel, you're back in the land of underemployment and no health insurance, cars that don't work or public transportation that is unreliable. Forget about college tuition. The trade off is between this type of hustle, scuffle, rob Peter to pay Paul type of existence or getting some corporate job that pays more than enough to meet your needs and extra for nice cars or fancy vacations to make up for the basics of life that you lack.

It's more complicated than being materialistic or greedy. Most people would be thrilled to have a life like the average European, but that doesn't exist for the most part in the USA. It's either deprivation or excess.

I don't think the answer is psychological, it's more social. Organize a labor union, occupy Wall Street, agitate for change. It's a long shot, but it's probably the only shot we've got.