Adam smith says, man naturally desires not only to be loved, but to be lovely. And yet, he says there's two ways to get there: Wealthy and famous or virtuous. Pursuing that is not going to really make you happy, iena argues. You're better off accumulating wisdom rather than money, fame or power. I think thar's a separate question of whether how people actually behave.
Author, economist, and theologian Mary Hirschfeld of Villanova University talks about her book, Aquinas and the Market, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Hirschfeld looks at the nature of our economic activity as buyers and sellers and whether our pursuit of economic growth and material well-being comes at a cost. She encourages a skeptical stance about the ability of more stuff to produce true happiness and/or satisfaction. The conversation includes a critique of economic theory and the aspect of human satisfaction outside the domain of economists.