Brilliant Positive Psychology

Find out what matters: Having purpose in your life 163

Values that identify us socially and culturally

Values are also increasingly socially imposed and are part of

socially accepted norms. As people become more and more

identified by what they value, the values themselves hold cul-

tural currency. It is to this last point that the psychologist Oliver

James addressed his book, Affluenza,

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which examines why

people are so unhappy despite having so much. If what we value

is merely a reflection of what we think we ought to value, we will

not flourish.

We inherit much of our value structure

Words have meaning but what