But, I think there are a couple of points worth raising here. I think Corbett’s comments are perhaps justified for those who *could* make very positive changes to their lives, that would benefit themselves, their families and society at large, but who refuse to do so from sheer pig-headedness, ignorance, or just the refusal to give up their socially -conditioned viewpoint. I have come across a fair few of these and I don’t consider myself to be advocating anything particularly radical.

The second point I’d like to make is that I have heard your argument many times before from people in emerging economies during my travels in South East Asia. I think people in these new economies need to listen very carefully to people in the West who are saying, essentially, “warning, back up, nothing to see here”. They are worth listening to *for the very reason* their viewpoint is coming from a “privileged” position. I mean if these guys are holding up a red flag, that should be given consideration. There’s no doubt that something has gone very badly wrong in the West, and peoples in the emerging economies need to be wary of that.

I personally know lots of people from Thailand, Malaysia, and Philippines, who have come to the UK to follow the consumerist dream, and a few years down the line they can’t figure out where it all went wrong. They are in-debt, miserable and miss home. But they have gadgets, lots of gadgets. While many made the move for the best of reasons (usually to support family back home), they end up becoming victims of the system, and are not able to support themselves, let alone family. Many decide the problem is “the UK”, and pack up and head for Dubai, or the USA – rinse, repeat.

Interestingly enough, I know *many* people in the West (through another site I operate) who have gone to live in “Third world countries”, who are living *very* simple, but extremely happy lives, often on very modest salaries, such as that of a local English teacher, and wild horses could not drag them back to their “privileged” former lives of material glory in the West. They’ve seen that trap for what it is and want no further part of it. They don’t see themselves are Lifestyle Design radicals, but they have successfully eschewed materialism for a better quality of life, and are much happier for it.

Surely there is a worthwhile lesson to be had in there, call if lifestyle design or not? And that’s why I continue to follow these blogs with interest.

I see it nearly everyday in my job as an educational trainer, working with young people in schools teaching them about success, enterprise and study methods. Their mentality is it’s too hard to change, too challenging for them to go against the grain, and too socially unacceptable to be seen to enjoy what they do. My approach has always been, share the ideas I have, let those who wants to hear it take it onboard, and move on to the next group. If I can get 1 person in that room to walk out after the seminar is over and think that they want to make a change then I know I can go home happy.

Life design isn’t forever right now. It may well be somewhere down the track but perhaps not now. People who think like that will always be the ones who come to you for help and advice when they see there is another way.