The latter is more of a root cause than (also, of) the former, which is nonetheless a large contributor. The latter - measuring growth/success of an economy by

The latter is more of a root cause than (also, of) the former, which is nonetheless a large contributor. The latter - measuring growth/success of an economy by redundant items bought, is a direct consequence of applying the same principle for individuals. This phenomenon, at the micro level, could, with the appropriate disclaimers, be considered the root cause for the general maladies you point out. Do you believe individuals could be trained/convinced/taught to not measure their success in those terms? If yes, would they still get to measure their successes? If so, in terms of what? What would you consider a better universal metric for personal success?