[Author Interview]

1. Ms. Mum, in your latest book you explore three very different disciplines: economic growth, evolutionary theory, and psychiatry—fields that, at first glance, seem entirely unrelated. Is that really the case?
Absolutely—not even if it’s not immediately obvious. Darwin was a follower and admirer of Adam Smith, the founder of classical economics, which is almost synonymous with economic liberalism. He absorbed Smith’s ideas and incorporated some of them into his own theory of evolution. However, it was precisely Darwin’s evolutionary theory—especially after the publication of the first edition of *On the Origin of Species*—that led some economists, particularly in America, to link economic concepts with evolutionary theory, further reinforcing Adam Smith’s economic liberalism and effectively applying the principle of “survival of the fittest” to social structures.

2. What does psychiatry have to do with this?
Psychiatry emerged shortly after Adam Smith’s death and became increasingly important with industrialization—especially during the Second Industrial Revolution. It plays a crucial role in sustaining the system of economic liberalism, particularly today’s hyper-capitalist system—especially after the introduction of pharmacological treatments.
In short: psychiatry and psychology shift the problems caused by the economic system—such as depression and anxiety stemming from the risk of unemployment or insufficient funds to pay rent or raise children—onto the individual’s psychological level. This means that if an individual lacks the resilience to cope with the pressures of the economic system, they are held responsible for their own mental state.
Based on various narratives—and I want to emphasize that neither of these disciplines is an exact science—people are led to believe that the root of their psychological problems lies either in the past—childhood trauma, dysfunctional families—or in imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain—but certainly not in social or economic structures.

3. So why is the title of your book *Wealth Devours the Soul*?
Because we’ve been taught from an early age that happiness is tied to money. We’re told that the wealthier we are, the closer we come to the law of “survival of the fittest”—and that once we’re fully secure in every respect, we’ll inevitably be happy. Yet this may be the greatest illusion, as vividly demonstrated by the experiences of many wealthy individuals and super-rich people.
They too suffer from depression and pervasive anxiety—even if the causes differ from those of the poor or the increasingly impoverished middle class. A well-known example is Elon Musk, who has turned to powerful drugs like ketamine to combat depression, or as he puts it, to fight his “negative mental state.” But even lesser-known millionaires have spoken openly about their depression—for instance, Gary Stevenson, recently.
This kind of depression is often linked to a deep sense of inner emptiness that slowly but steadily devours the soul. Actor Jim Carrey summed it up aptly: “I think everyone should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of, so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
What he means is that wealth does not guarantee happiness—and artificial intelligence confirms this; see Google’s overview of AI.

4. How then can we find happiness?
The true essence of happiness lies elsewhere—above all, in a meaning of life that stands apart from economic growth. This may sound like a cliché, but it isn’t: as numerous scientific studies show, we can find happiness in genuine human relationships.
Our interactions should once again be guided by Kant’s principle—honesty is “the medicine of the soul,” because life becomes better when we draw near to the truth.
As early as 2012, scientists at the University of Notre Dame found that encouraging people to lie less not only improves their psychological state but also their physical health.

5. Yet our era is rife with lies and half-truths. How can we break free from this situation?
By striving to seek out information that truly corresponds to reality. This concerns not only fake news or manipulated media reports, but also the half-truths and outdated theories peddled to us as unquestionable truths.
Such dogmatic theories are dangerous because they shape our view of the world—for example, Darwin’s theory of evolution, which has influenced how we see society and the economy for nearly two centuries.
If we abandon outdated evolutionary theory and teach students in primary and secondary schools as well as universities the latest, more comprehensive findings of numerous contemporary scientists, we can build a radically different society. Decades of research show that evolution is based primarily on cooperation, not competition.
Imagine if children understood this from an early age; they would no longer take the current economic system for granted as “natural.” Then the oft-misunderstood principle of “survival of the fittest” could no longer be used to justify our exploitative, profit-maximizing economic system.
We would realize that our system needs fundamental reform—moving toward genuine cooperation, as nature itself demonstrates. As I will show in my planned documentary, the first steps in this direction are already visible. Some psychiatrists are now critically examining their own discipline, pointing out that our economic system is destroying souls—while an increasing number of evolutionary biologists emphasize that Darwin’s theory is long outdated and that cooperation is, in fact, at the heart of natural growth.
The question now is how to communicate and disseminate these truths, with the aim of adapting economic and social structures to these insights, so that we can leave our children a fairer, more humane world.

★The eponymous documentary is scheduled to premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in 2028! Over several years, independent filmmaker and journalist Miriam Mum painstakingly crafted this book, which serves as the “intellectual womb” of the documentary. Employing a multidisciplinary approach that spans biology, economics, and psychology, it punctures the feverish bubble of “profit above all,” confronting the harsh realities of social overcompetition and cutthroat rivalry in modern society.
★This book decodes the “psychological traps” of the economic system, weaving together economics, evolutionary theory, and psychiatry to tear away the veneer of Social Darwinism’s “survival of the fittest.” Mum argues that Western capitalism not only widens the gap between rich and poor but also systematically deflects responsibility for structural economic failures by attributing unemployment and poverty to individual psychological frailty, leaving countless people drained by self-doubt.
★A wake-up call for reimagining our economy and values! This book is not just a guide to personal healing; it is a rallying cry for social change. Mum calls for an economic system built on fairness and authenticity. In the age of AI, as the “myth of wealth” crumbles at an accelerating pace, this book serves as a sobering reminder.
★Author Miriam Mum exposes the century-old lie that “money equals happiness,” using a sharp lens to reveal the true nature of turbocharged modern capitalism—how it plunges both the super-rich and ordinary people into an existential wasteland of anxiety and depression. Through real-life cases, she demonstrates that wealth never guarantees happiness; on the contrary, it can quietly devour the soul.
★A groundbreaking interdisciplinary perspective: blending insights from medicine, science, and politics, this book combines scholarly depth with accessible readability. As a freelance writer, Mum dissects the myth of “economic growth worship,” bringing complex economic theories, evolutionary biology, and psychiatry into dialogue and opening a new window for everyday readers to understand the dilemmas of our times.
★Beyond critique, Mum offers a warm yet solid answer: the essence of happiness lies in genuine human relationships—the antidote to our anxieties is a return to authentic connection. Drawing on scientific experiments from the University of Notre Dame, she confirms a pathway to improving both mental and physical well‑being. This is a gentle rebellion against the supremacy of money: the soul’s remedy is to embrace truth and others with sincerity.

For over a century, our lives have gradually lost their intrinsic meaning. Money has taken its place—hailed as the new standard, it seems to imbue otherwise empty lives with purpose. The pathological desire for wealth and power, legitimized by a Darwinian narrative as “natural,” has become the dominant driving force of Western society. These ways of thinking are passed down through generations via the education system, constantly replicated and reinforced. This shift is no accident; it is a reflection of an economic system built on consumption, growth, and profit. Yet this way of life inflicts deep damage upon the soul.
In her new book, Miriam Muhm exposes the true nature of modern turbo-capitalism: far from creating prosperity for all, it leaves many physically and emotionally exhausted. An increasing number of people suffer from depression, anxiety, and inner emptiness—even super‑rich individuals like Bill Gates and Elon Musk are not immune. The very things peddled as paths to happiness ultimately prove to be a carefully crafted illusion: the belief that money and consumption alone can bring fulfillment is a deeply ingrained, system‑imposed lie.
Miriam Muhm makes clear that Western capitalism not only generates social inequality but also causes psychological suffering. Since the 19th century, it has been justified by a misinterpretation of Darwinian evolution—the infamous “survival of the fittest.” But modern evolutionary biology demonstrates unequivocally that cooperation, rather than competition, is the foundation of life’s development. As a result, capitalism has lost its so‑called “natural legitimacy.” This new evolutionary perspective may spark a paradigm shift, potentially giving rise to an alternative economic theory—one based on fairer principles, capable of enabling people to lead lives superior to those under today’s dominant neoliberal order.
This book serves both as a wake‑up call and an invitation to rethink how we live. Miriam Muhm argues that, to save individual souls and secure the future of our societies, we urgently need to transform our economic and value systems.

Miriam Mum
Miriam Mum is a freelance writer specializing in medicine, science, and politics. She has contributed to numerous publications, including the Süddeutsche Zeitung, La Repubblica, and Express. She also served as a political correspondent for the Italian news magazine L’Europeo, based in Germany, and as a science consultant for Italian television. Currently residing in Munich and Rome, she has for many years worked as a freelance documentary filmmaker for Italy’s national broadcaster RAI and Swiss television’s science department.
She is also the author of books such as “The Blood-Test Lie: Why Lab Results Are Often Inaccurate and Can Even Make Us Sick” and “The Hypnotized Society: How Our Minds Are Controlled by Politics, Media, and Advertising.”