Affluenza and Selfish Capitalism

Oliver James is a clinical psychologist, writer and documentary maker. In his hugely successful book Affluenza – How to be Successful and Stay Sane, he identified an increasing tendency in cultures around the world toward "an obsessive, envious keeping-up-with-the-Joneses state of mind that increases our vulnerability to emotional disorders, and is responsible for rising levels of depression, addiction, violence and anxiety in the developed world."

In Selfish Capitalism James Examines Rising Mental Health Problems in English-speaking Nations

James argues that Selfish Capitalism is a particularly aggressive form of capitalism found predominantly in English speaking nations – the US, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. James argues that in these countries, around 23% of the population has suffered from some form of mental illness such as depression or anxiety in the last 12 months compared to an average of 11.5% of German, Italian, French, Belgian, Spanish and Dutch people who, James argues, live under a system of social or unselfish capitalism.

This, James argues, is because of a combination of two factors.

Firstly, economic inequality in the English-speaking world has increased massively over the last 30 years. The top 1% of earners in the UK now earn 13% of the British National Income – up from 6.5% in 1982. While the richest strata of society have become richer due to regressive taxation policies under the Thatcher and Blair governments, the wages of average earners have increased by very little and the lower earners bear a disproportionate share of the tax burden.

Secondly, a culture (the ‘affluenza’ virus) has developed in countries such as the US and UK in which a very high value is placed on money, material possessions, physical appearance and fame. People who have enough money to meet their fundamental physical and psychological needs are discontented and feel that they must work harder and harder to become more and more materially successful, even though increased material wealth may not be making them any more satisfied with their lives.

Celebrity Culture and Competitive Materialism

Meanwhile, social mobility through education has decreased significantly over the last 30 years, but the current culture of celebrity suggests that a large proportion of the population could become rich and famous and that this is what we should all be aiming for. Writing in the UK newspaper The Guardian on January 3, 2008, James says: "This is most damaging of all - the ideology that material affluence is the key to fulfilment and open to anyone willing to work hard enough. If you don't succeed, there is only one person to blame - never mind that it couldn't be clearer that it's the system's fault, not yours."

As a solution, James suggests reduced consumerism and greater inequality would not only benefit us ecologically, but James insists that it would half the incidence of mental illness in societies affected by Affluenza within one generation.

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