I think maybe you’re onto something. It reminded me of the parable of the NYC businessman who met a Mexican fisherman and was taken aback by the fact that the fisherman spent so much time drinking wine with friends and sitting in the sun on the beach. The businessman said “Well, it’s a disgrace that you’re leaving so much on the table. If you worked harder, you could get a fleet of boats and eventually make millions.”

The fisherman said, “After I make millions, then what will I do?”

And the businessman said, “Well, then you can spend your time drinking wine on the beach with your friends.”

To your point, I think a lot of people act like optimizing for wealth is the main goal simply because that’s what society has trained us to do.