PERSONAL ASPIRATIONS, THE "GOOD LIFE" AND THE LAW

Many of the messages conveyed and laws created by capitalistic, consumer culture encourage the pursuit of goals for wealth, image and status. Substantial research shows, however, that when individuals focus on such "extrinsic" goals, they report lower personal well-being and engage in more problematic social and ecological behaviour than when they are oriented towards "intrinsic" pursuits for personal growth, affiliation, and community feeling. Legislative agendas that are designed to increase "time affluence" and protect children from commercialisation are discussed as example activities lawyers could pursue to help increase intrinsic and decrease extrinsic aspirations.