Pico Iyer the Joy of Less
Kristi Vaughn
Eng 101
Pico Iyer
“The Joy of Less”
Iyer is a writer who is very talented and fortunate to have a good job, a
small apartment and enough cash flow to travel several destinations. This
man you would think would be as happy as could be with his many
accomplishments, he is not. Iyer ponders the fact that when he visits these
third world countries the inhabitants seem much more content, and even
energetic in their surroundings. Iyer begins to wonder, does money really
buy happiness? Iyer puts this to the test. In search of his own happiness, he
travels to several locations. Iyer is quite content in Kyoto, a small apartment
with no television, no bicycle, no car and no media but this is his happiness.
“Happiness lies less in our circumstances than in what we make of them,
in every sense.” This statement touched me the most. I agree with Iyer in
most of his simplicity. I believe Americans as a whole have become so
reliant on technology and media, I often wonder how many have forgotten
what the sun looks like. It would be nice to walk in my front door without
my girls arguing about what they are going to watch after their chores,
sometimes I wish I could disconnect the cable. I believe cell phones have
made people lazy as well, why bother remembering a phone number I’ll just
look in my contacts! Yes I am guilty of that as well. Iyer makes a valid point
of letting his audience know that he really does not miss anything when he
gets a chance to update himself on media, the outside world, and humanity
In general. I wonder if I could make it without my radio for a week, maybe
television for a few days? What would america be like if our television,
media was limited to a few hours a day? Would we be happier, treat each
other with kindness, maybe the crime would go down?
Eng 101
Pico Iyer
“The Joy of Less”
Iyer is a writer who is very talented and fortunate to have a good job, a
small apartment and enough cash flow to travel several destinations. This
man you would think would be as happy as could be with his many
accomplishments, he is not. Iyer ponders the fact that when he visits these
third world countries the inhabitants seem much more content, and even
energetic in their surroundings. Iyer begins to wonder, does money really
buy happiness? Iyer puts this to the test. In search of his own happiness, he
travels to several locations. Iyer is quite content in Kyoto, a small apartment
with no television, no bicycle, no car and no media but this is his happiness.
“Happiness lies less in our circumstances than in what we make of them,
in every sense.” This statement touched me the most. I agree with Iyer in
most of his simplicity. I believe Americans as a whole have become so
reliant on technology and media, I often wonder how many have forgotten
what the sun looks like. It would be nice to walk in my front door without
my girls arguing about what they are going to watch after their chores,
sometimes I wish I could disconnect the cable. I believe cell phones have
made people lazy as well, why bother remembering a phone number I’ll just
look in my contacts! Yes I am guilty of that as well. Iyer makes a valid point
of letting his audience know that he really does not miss anything when he
gets a chance to update himself on media, the outside world, and humanity
In general. I wonder if I could make it without my radio for a week, maybe
television for a few days? What would america be like if our television,
media was limited to a few hours a day? Would we be happier, treat each
other with kindness, maybe the crime would go down?