The problem isn't materialism as such. Rather it is the underlying assumption that full satisfaction can arise from gratifying the senses alone. Unlike animals whose quest for happiness is restricted to survival and to the immediate gratification of sensory desires, we human beings have the capacity to experience happiness at a deeper level which, when achieved, can overwhelm unhappy experiences.

... Our individual well-being is intimately connected both with that of all others and with the environment within which we live.... Our every action, our every deed, word, and thought, no matter how slight or inconsequential it may seem, has an implication not only for ourselves, but for all others, too.

We all wish to live a happy life. In addition, we all have the same right to fulfil this goal. And we all have the potential to do so for the simple reason that future is not fixed, it can be changed. Therefore, we should live in hope that we really can overcome whatever problems we face.

To defy the authority of empirical evidence is to disqualify oneself as someone worthy of critical engagement in a dialogue.

Religion is like going out to dinner with friends. Everyone may order something different, but everyone can still sit at the same table.

Even within one person, yesterday and today, there are differences. We must look at a deeper level.

True friends share genuine closeness and remain friends irrespective of fluctuating fortunes.