Happiness

After reading the two articles it was clear that one of the common arguments was that as humans, we have needs to be happy.  There are different things that make us happy.  In the Billy Sim reading, the Sim character is only happy if you buy him new stuff. Buying this character new or better things is a more permanent fix for being happy than it is in real life.  In the game, the only way the character makes any friends is if he buys things for his friends.  In The Futile Pursuit if Happiness it is talked about that we think we know what will make us happy.  We think we know what we want, but after we get whatever that thing may be, we keep going.  We say the next step, the bigger thing, or the newer thing (etc.) will make us happy.

What we think will make us happy is stuff that we actually buy.  From the second reading I believe it is a little more clear that buying stuff is a temporary moment of happiness.