The Psychology of Enough

Mastering Money Decisions in an Age of Endless Inflation: Defining Sufficiency, Resisting Panic, and Building Resilient Financial Habits

De: Owen L. Hartwell

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Why do so many people with rising incomes still feel like they are falling behind? Why does inflation spark fear that outpaces the math? The Psychology of Enough tackles these questions with clarity, blending behavioral science, history, and lived experience into a practical guide for navigating money in uncertain times.

This book challenges the instinct for endless accumulation, showing how the drive for more creates fragility instead of security. It explains why financial strategies built only on spreadsheets often collapse when emotions take over, and why defining sufficiency transforms money from a source of anxiety into a tool for calm. Drawing on research from psychology and economics, it explores how inflation distorts judgment, amplifies fear and greed, and fuels comparisons that undermine resilience.

Each chapter delivers clear lessons in plain language. Readers will see why lifestyle creep becomes a trap, how status pressures erode savings, and why panic-driven choices during inflation can be more damaging than inflation itself. Case studies from past cycles—from the U.S. in the 1970s to postwar Japan—reveal how families and nations adapted when prices surged. Alongside evidence, the book offers a fresh narrative: money as a servant, not a master, and enough as a mindset that cannot be eroded by rising costs.

Accessible and pragmatic, The Psychology of Enough positions money decisions within human psychology, encouraging perspective, gratitude, and long-term thinking. It does not promise quick fixes or secret hedges. Instead, it equips readers to resist fear, align identity with sufficiency, and preserve stability through cycles of inflation. For anyone who wants freedom from the endless chase, this book offers both insight and relief.