I think the money thing is just linked to happiness being elusive to a lot of people. Many people seem to be very out of touch with themselves, and I see excessive cashlust as a misguided attempt to become happier. People often tell themselves "If I just did/had _____ I'd be happy," and money tends to be one of the more common things to fill in the blank. That's really all everyone wants right? To be happy? Its a shame people are so bad at figuring out how to accomplish that.