To the Editor:

David Brooks states that Americans are privately happy because “their homes are bigger.” He adds: “They own more cars. They feel more affluent.”

This has repeatedly been shown to be false, as the aggregate “happiness” of Americans has not grown over time with their supposed affluence.

If only life were so simple that a big house and a stable of S.U.V.’s would make life worth living.

This kind of base materialism underlies the conservative political philosophy that has become in vogue over the last 27 years or so.

As long as we as a people remain focused on materialism as the primary determinant of personal happiness, we will be unable to effectively deal with the larger “public” issues Mr. Brooks alludes to.

I believe that our leaders, including the media and the press, should do a better job educating us that there is more to happiness than the size of our houses or how many cars we have; a reliable health care system, a stable environment and national security are worth at least as much.

Dan Mauro
Chicago, Oct. 30, 2007

Note from KBJ: The letter writer doesn’t understand conservatism if he thinks it’s founded on materialism. By the way, don’t you love the writer’s condescension? He says we need to be “educated” about what makes us happy. He’s confusing education with indoctrination.