A commonplace criticism of American culture is its excessive preoccupation with material goods and corresponding neglect of the human spirit. Americans, it is alleged, worship only "the almighty dollar. " We scramble to "keep up with the Joneses. " The love affair between Americans and their automobiles has been a continuing subject of derisive commentary by both foreign and domestic critics. Americans are said to live by a quantitative ethic. Bigger is better, whether in bombs or sedans. The classical virtues of grace, harmony, and economy of both means and ends are lost on most Americans. As a result, we are said to be swallowing up the world's supply of natural resources, which are irreplaceable. Americans constitute 6 percent of the world's population but consume over a third of the world's energy. These are now familiar complaints. Indeed, in some respects Americans may believe the "pursuit of happiness" to mean the pursuit of material things.

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　　人们常常批评美国文化过分热衷于物质产品，却忽略了人的精神需求。他们说，美国人只崇拜“万能的美元”。美国人会在生活上竞相攀比。美国人过分钟情于汽车，长期以来这称为国内外批评家的笑柄。美国人把数量作为衡量一切的标准，无论是炸弹还是轿车，总是越多越好。大多数美国人已经失去了彬彬有礼、和睦相处、量入为出的传统美德。因而美国人吞噬着世界上大量不可再生的自然资源。美国人占世界人口的百分之六，却消耗了世界上三分之一以上的能源。人们常常对此颇有怨言。的确，从某种程度上说，美国人可能信奉追求幸福就是追求物质享受。