When I think about life being "wrong" in the way it gets lived vs. how it should be lived, this is what I mean:
We are born and raised in love (ususally).
It isn't until later we are taught what prejudice and hate can be.
We are sent to school to learn general talents so that we can go to college and learn more.
Most aren't encouraged to follow what they WANT to do but are encouraged or pushed into what will make the most money.
We are taught from birth that money = happiness.
The more money, the more happiness.
Then we end up getting jobs doing something that leaves us feeling imcomplete.
BUT we were told "That doesn't matter, your making good money, you should be happy."
So, to fill that incompleteness, we buy stuff.
We buy things that companies tell us we should want or cannot live without.
So we go into debt to buy those things when we aren't capable of making enough money to buy them outright.
So then we have to work longer and harder to pay off those debts.
And while working all of this extra time we no longer have the spare time to enjoy those things we bought to begin with and therefore we decide that we need to buy more things since we still feel empty.
So we work harder to make more money to buy more stuff that, in the end, sits in a garage collecting dust.
And the entire time we still feel empty.
How can we break this cycle?
How can we learn to be happy?
I think these are important questions that we need to ask, or as a whole, the race of humanity may fail.
This is just what I think.

Regarding being encouraged or pushed into following what makes the most money, I'd say this would only be applied in a society where money is a general issue (I'm lookin' at good, ol' 'murrica on the map here). Yes, some jobs are considered "more important" or "requiring higher competence" than others, and as such, they pay more. And if your dream job won't cover rent, then most won't pursue their dream job because it won't cut it, thereby leaving a huge hole in the crowd that choose to pursue such a position anyway.

In a country where money is everything, money doesn't equal happiness, but rather survival. And I think that since people want to survive they attempt to integrate the ideology of money = happiness into people's minds so that they will actually believe it, and the sad irony is that it turns around to bite them in the ass when they find out that what they were taught was wrong.

Going from that to materialism, a new sofa (contrary to popular belief (saw what I did there?)), WON'T fill the void in you. Those commercials, television programs and news programs telling you how to think and what you need is EXACTLY the reason I don't own a television anymore, but anyway, sure. I enjoy watching shows online, having fun with some silly thing to make time pass by more faster, but I don't depend on it for happiness, because it's just... A thing. An ultimately meaningless thing that I shouldn't take too seriously.

As for breaking the cycle, I'll say this: DON'T let others tell you how to think. Make up your own mind, be critical and sceptical to ideas and thoughts others tell you to hold dearly. If you have kids, I also think the best thing to do is to raise them in an unmaterialistic setting. I don't say they shouldn't be allowed an XBOX One or some time at the computer, but teach them that there are more important things in life than money and meaningless objects.

In the end, it's YOUR life. And you should live it how you want, regardless of the thoughts of materialists. If you want to get into cooking or pedagogy, GO FOR IT! You won't make as much as a surgeon or a bank manager, but sure as Hell, you'll have something they most likely won't. Happiness. And that is unbeatable by any amount of money.

I'm 37 and these are just things that run through my head at times from my past experiences.  If I had it to do all over there are a lot of things I'd do differently, but many people feel that way.  The joys of a capitalistic society I guess.  

I'm just 18, so you've seen more than I have... I'm younger, and despite being from a different culture, I too feel the same about wanting do-overs. Like you said many people do, but we can't change the past, and that's how life is. It keeps moving forward, and all we really can do is live it how we want according to the choices we make and the opportunities presented to us. Outside of that... There's not much more we can do.

We're nobodies. Just your average ant in anthills called societies, and we'll be aiding the top brasses in their endeavours to become richer, which I personally think is moreso a boon than a bane. We have more freedom than them, in a way, not being completely pushed into the "money is all that matters"-ideology. Sure, some societies force it on people, but when they realize that money's not important, that I think is when they become free from it all.

But eh, I think there are important things than that. I don't want to become rich when I grow up. I want a family. As long as I can have that, I honestly won't give a shit if we're working class or not.

Here Here!  Half-Note.  

On a lighter note here are some experiences in life to look out for:

NEVER OWN A CREDIT CARD, if they show up, sacrafice a chicken and burn them in the blood.  They are evil..

ALWAYS ask out that person you've been secretly looking at from across the room and haven't had the nerve to talk to yet.  A "No thank you" will never hurt as much as a "What if?" for the rest of your life.  

Just my 2 cents. ^.^

Thank you for the advice, I'll be sure to follow up on it. :D

I was planning on donating the credit card to the recycling facility so that it could be turned into something more useful, like a plastic bottle cap for an unhealthy drink pumped full of chemicals, but the ritual sounds fun, especially since I'm a sick puppy like that, so thank you. :3

I doubt I'll need the second advice (the hopefulness of a teen relationship), but it never hurts to give it, so here here!

On a more serious note, it's nice to see another mature furry for once. Too few of them around. >.<

Mmmmm humans as a whole are animals with a thin shell of civilization keep them "respectable".  Some people's shells are thicker than others but some don't take much to crack and when they do...  It can be very gruesome.

There is one more thing that i would like to add to your comments on work...

If you have a hobby that you Really enjoy, don't make it your job all that does is ruins your hobby

Oh yes I know all about that.  My dad did the same thing and regretted it for 10 years.