The current view of life seems to emphasize the self to the extreme of a survivalist mentality. Tom Wolf pointed out that, even though people say "I have only one life to live," until recently it has been common for people to actually live as though they were living for their ancestors or their children (Lasch, 1978, p 7).
Some would say that the 1960s and 1970s brought a religious and spiritual revolution, but Lasch contends that what has resulted is merely a sensibility of therapy. All of the various awarenesses, combined with a greater measure of free time, have spawned numerous self-indulgent diversions such as encounter groups, dream work, men's groups, women's consciousness expansion, est, primal scream sessions, and flotation tank meditation. Staffan Burenstam Linder supports the observations of Lasch in his book, The Harried Leisure Class. It is paradoxical that as Americans have become more and more affluent, there simply may not be the time to enjoy the increased income. Theoretically, a higher income would bring a greater degree of happiness in life, but intense striving may taint leisure activities so that socializing becomes power networking and reading is for seeking professional information (Linder, 1970, p 4).
One may not stop to consider that consumption of goods and services requires time, a commodity which may not be completely available for the American who is busy achieving or sustaining a certain standard of living. A consumer has no need for a new tennis racket every year if he has no time to play (Linder, 1970, p. 8). The bewildering result for a successful, growth-oriented society is the realization that there is an infinite amount of material goods but not an unlimited supply of time. When one is simply aiming to earn more m
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