Murray Koppelman School of Business Professor Hershey Friedman and Associate Professor James Lynch co-authored “Voluntary Simplicity as a Spiritual Remedy for Hypermaterialism and Overconsumption: Perspectives from Two of the Oldest Faiths” an article that is being featured in the latest issue of the Journal of Intercultural Management and Ethics, an international online journal that publishes research in intercultural aspects of management and ethics. The article examines how in today’s world, consumers exist in a materialistic lifestyle, overconsume luxury items that can harm the environment, and create psychological and behavioral issues such as greed, depression, anxiety, and envy. They argue that eventually, overconsumption can lead to an obsession with spending and as a result, people become less likely to realize that what truly matters in their lives is not the items they own, but family and their happiness. Friedman and Lynch suggest that by incorporating the teachings of Judaism and Buddhism into their lives, people who are willing to change their consumption habits can be better encouraged to learn how to live a meaningful life, practice self-restraint, and not depend on materialistic goods for happiness.
