Sir, – Mark Garavan’s letter (August 21st) about a society centred on wellbeing rather than economic growth has inspired me to imagine how much better the world would be with this perspective.
A focus on wellbeing would mean that people would have to be considerate of others rather than just think of themselves. This would mean that governments would actually serve the interests of the people rather than prioritising commercial interests. This in turn might lead to CEOs and senior management realising that they are being overpaid at the expense of the rest of society. This awareness might then lead to large companies actually listening to their customers rather than being solely interested in making money. I could keep going with all the benefits but I think the overall effect would be that society would be freed from being servile to the economy.
In my imagination the benefits of a society centred on well being rather than economic growth would address much that is wrong and give hope of another way.
The fixation on economic growth was something that was imagined and then became reality. It has had its day. A better way is now being imagined. – Yours, etc,
ELAINE BYRNE,
Ballinteer,
Dublin 16.