“want” and what we "need" are two different things

The fundamental problem is that what we “want” and what we need are two different things and capitalism does such a good job of giving us what we “want” that we don’t end up getting what we need.

Take food. Getting a burger delivered to my door for less than $10 is truly amazing.

Pre-ground beef so I don’t even have to struggle with a fork and knife.
Special sauce, engineered to give my taste buds exactly what they want.
Delivered to my door so I don’t have to bother to go outside
Dropped off at my doorstep so I don’t have to interact with people.

But struggle, eating healthy, going outdoors, and social interactions are how we evolved and they’re all necessary parts of a full life.

Similarly, capitalism has done an impressive job of giving depressed people what they “want“. A simple pill they can swallow that might make them somewhat happier.

Mark Crady