It's what grandma used to preach when she said money can't buy happiness. Consider the Palo Alto potluck, which consists mostly of healthy, vegetarian dishes. But there, at the end of the table, also sits a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. We're not supposed to have all the answers. We're not telling people how to live.
People decide for themselves if they want to make big changes or small changes.
It has also become a market, most evident perhaps in the publication that made the biggest splash this year, Real Simple. The rush by some to cash in on simplicity may help explain why cynics doubt this is a genuine trend. People had to cut back out of necessity to make ends meet because times were hard. We're all about big houses, big cars and big mouths. I've never seen attitudes about conspicuous consumption higher than they are now.