Contentment is the state where you are satisfied with where you are at or maybe the things you have. In Eastern custom, mainly Buddhism, contentment is taught as a virtue. The Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist philosopher, said that, "when you practice contentment, you can say to yourself, 'Oh yes, I already have everything that I really need'". In the United States, however, people are not content. There exists Black Friday, where Americans flock in masses to indulge in material goodness. There should be a balance between wanting things and contentment.
The desire for more and more often leads to depression. South Korea is a country where emphasis is put on competition and being successful. Students in South Korea rank among the highest in the world. However, this struggle for the best leads to elevated stress and depression. According to a report by BMC Public Health, South Korea's suicide rate is 32.5 per every 100,000 deaths. Similarly, in East Asian idol groups, stress is put on them to make them perform their best; the desire for more and more. Recently, singer Jonghyun of South Korean idol group SHINee committed suicide, with a note saying, "I am broken inside". Sometimes, I feel stressed due to not meeting my goals. However, it is okay to have some goals to look forward to. To reduce this unhappiness, contentment should be practiced to some extent.
However, some believe that contentment should not be practiced. To look forward to things, there must be a number of goals. But, things that do not really matter could be looked over, and people should be content with that. It depends on what is contentment to the respective person.
Contentment should be practiced and balanced with desires, so as to not cause increased stress or depression. If contentment is practiced, the desire for more and more will be suppressed, and people wouldn't stress themselves out trying to get what they want.
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