The Narrative Trap: How Reaching for Ever More Can Make Us Miserable and What We Can Do About It
Abstract
How best to navigate our way through life is far from straightforward. It can sometimes be made a little easier by following social narratives about how to live well that have stood the test of time. One strong and sticky story is that we should reach for ever more money, status and education. This article shows that this might serve us well when we have very little, but reaching for more and more can sometimes make us miserable. It discusses ways in which we might take better account of the costs as well as the benefits of our addiction to economic growth, social mobility and formal education.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Youth Education and Societal Dynamics
Income
Poverty
and Inequality
Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
Publication details
- Journal / source
- LSE Public Policy Review
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 1
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN