Chris Mccandless Argumentative Essay

Our society today depends on money and material objects. It is a popular belief that money makes happiness. Although this is believed to be true, transcendentalists around the world live with the idea that living with only what you need is the prime lifestyle. Chris McCandless, a transcendentalist, did not support this lifestyle. Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, helps support the idea that people do not need luxury to be happy. Becoming used to comfort and luxury leads to apathy and boredom because people become dependent, become predictable, and lack work ethic.
To begin, luxury and comfort makes you dependent. Chris McCandless lived his beginning years surrounded by money and was offered material objects often (Krakauer). He ran away as soon as he could because he saw the dependency he would soon face if he stayed home. Also, when people have more they don't have to to do things for themselves. Maids and nannies are hired by people who live with luxury to do what they would normally do themselves. If this is not the definition of dependency I don’t know what is. When one is truly comfortable

they are not putting too much effort into life which is boring.
Moreover, luxury and comfort makes you predictable.

When people have more money they tend to fall into stereotypes. Big companies such as Starbucks and Panera suck in citizens with a constant cash flow and lead them to spending unnecessary money. If you would go into one of these you would see many repeat customers. Most middle class citizens today have IPhones which are expensive. There are less expensive options but people want to look “cool”. Also, many people wear the same clothes and clothing brands if they have a good salary. Wearing those clothes makes the person think the look more successful. Looking and doing what everyone else does is quite boring and in the end not successful. Emerson once said, “Envy is ignorance: that imitation is suicide,” (Self-Reliance). The imitation consistent in our society of upper-middle class people is boring and

unnecessary.
Lastly, you lose work ethic when you have luxury and comfort. Losing the effort to work occurs when finances are at their peak. When people work hard for their money they see how life is interesting when you have a goal to achieve. Laziness plays its part in life when the goal is reached and the person stops working. Thoreau once said, “We are eager to tunnel under the Atlantic and bring the old world some weeks nearer to the new” (Walden 41). As this quote explained, we are all eager to get to the goal so we do not have to work any more.
Obviously, becoming used to comfort and luxury leads to apathy and boredom because people become dependent, become predictable, and lack work ethic. If one relies on luxury and comfort to live a successful life they will fail miserably. Material items and status builders are come with luxury but in the end are worthless. Living with a goal to reach is the right way to live because you never get bored. Although luxury seems perfect an imperfect life is the way to go.