I worked all my life to accumulate wealth and I am not sure if money, or more money, will make me any happier. Thoughts?
Do you believe that money can buy happiness?
- Thread starter theycallmebruce
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Apparently money buys happiness until you reach a salary of USD 75 000/year. Above that salary, money doesn't buy any additional happiness.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/sep/06/earnings-pay-happiness-research
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/sep/06/earnings-pay-happiness-research
http://www.evancarmichael.com/Human...types-of-happiness--are-you-really-happy.html
This is a commonly-discussed happiness theory too. Lots of literature and links can be found on this view. Three types of happiness, in ascending order:
1) pleasure seeking - but its fleeting and once you achieve a particular pleasure (ie. you buy that car you've been craving), your happiness drops dramatically and you start seeking the next pleasure.
2) the good life - you are surrounded by a loving family, you work to provide for them, all your joy comes from within that sheltered life you live with them (or whatever it is you indulge yourself into that totally consumes your life), like the Italian steelworker who works hard then goes home to his big extended family, homecooked meals, grandkids, the garden, etc. His family is his life.
3) living to help others, to serve others, to make others' lives better. This is espoused as the most enduring, deepest type of happiness. Think Mother Theresa.
This is a commonly-discussed happiness theory too. Lots of literature and links can be found on this view. Three types of happiness, in ascending order:
1) pleasure seeking - but its fleeting and once you achieve a particular pleasure (ie. you buy that car you've been craving), your happiness drops dramatically and you start seeking the next pleasure.
2) the good life - you are surrounded by a loving family, you work to provide for them, all your joy comes from within that sheltered life you live with them (or whatever it is you indulge yourself into that totally consumes your life), like the Italian steelworker who works hard then goes home to his big extended family, homecooked meals, grandkids, the garden, etc. His family is his life.
3) living to help others, to serve others, to make others' lives better. This is espoused as the most enduring, deepest type of happiness. Think Mother Theresa.
It sure as hell does. Almost everything in our world is based on money. As the saying goes, money makes the world go around.
Being wealthy allows you to enjoy life to the fullest. It is easier to get the most desirable of spouses and provide the very best for your family. Additionally, you can really focus on enjoying life rather than simply slaving away to make ends meat.
The man who has ample money is the winner & to the victor goes the spoils.
Being wealthy allows you to enjoy life to the fullest. It is easier to get the most desirable of spouses and provide the very best for your family. Additionally, you can really focus on enjoying life rather than simply slaving away to make ends meat.
The man who has ample money is the winner & to the victor goes the spoils.
Thanks for sharing but that is mostly a big crock of baloney. More often than not this sentiment is used to provide solace to those who neither have money nor have the ability to amass wealth.
Money talks. Money's the end all and be all.
If you are wealthy enjoy your money. If you're not just figure out how to get wealthier and see for yourself whether you're actually happier. Chances are you'll be on Cloud 9 when you get there!
These threads are always interesting in that you can tell from the posts who has money and who do not.
tough call, since money is require to facilitate trade of goods and services in a sense it can by you a level of happiness that is material, finite, and tangible. if i won lotto max i'd be very happy as my life would be set as long as i invested the money correctly and not spend like a mad man once i deposit the cheque, but it's true, as soon as i receive such a large sum of money i would be thinking about what i would want to spend it on, would what i spend it on make me happy? it would relieve me of certain stresses in life (ie. buying a home, taking care of my family, and friends) financially it frees your time up in some sense. if you had to work for all the money you have (which many of us do) then we view how we spend money differently than if we won it.
to a person that works for a living, owning a house makes you happy, paying bills makes you sad (well to me it's depressing) especially if you don't make enough money to cover all your basic needs (food, water, clothes, roof over your head). so at some level it gives you the illusion of happiness, because without money you'll be out on the street. what if you hate your job? does money buy you happiness then? you're happy (or somewhat happy) when you are paid but the time between pay cheques you are miserable or at least depressed. what are you left with after you cover your basic needs? if anything is left? how can money buy you happiness then if you have to use it all just to survive?
one must also consider the house of cards money/currency has created, look at america and the deficit spending they are doing, borrowing on your future can only go so far before it all comes crashing down on you under a huge pile of debt. to an individual money could buy you some level of happiness to a country as a whole money causes problems, mainly how to keep currency valuable. in the current state, money is valuable because it is owed not because it has some sort of intrinsic value, it's just paper, or numbers that we deem as valuable, in essence we trade debt.
let say we take the "star trek" approach and believe at some point in time that our technology becomes so amazing that all the social problems are solved, no more hunger, no more poverty, education for all, jobs for all, and housing for all. i know it is fictional but there could be a day where we see how currency may change and the exchange of currency with it. what will 'buy' you happiness then? once the basic human needs are fulfilled pleasure seeking becomes the next step but what if pleasure was free? what ever thrill you seek doesn't cost you a cent, just your time. imagine you don't pay for anything you can work if you want or play if you want and there are venues for all of that. of course at the current state and mentality of people they may not understand, they would expect people to always want to play or have fun, but what if work and fun were one in the same, you enjoy what you do you enjoy that others enjoy what you do (ie running an amusement park).
happiness has changed over time, one could imagine that, to a caveman or ancient man, happiness was a successful hunt, a night with your woman, and a safe place to sleep near a warm fire. as our technology progressed our view of happiness slowly has changed, but some things remain the same-the need for a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your stomach, and if you are lucky enough the company of someone dear to you.
sometimes i do believe the best things in life are free, but some experiences in life that you may seek will cost you some amount of money and can make you happy for a period of time.
to some extent money can buy you temporal happiness, a truly happy individual requires more than just money, it requires an outlook on life and the means to attain that outlook.
just my opinion as i have thought about it a lot. some of the most happy moments in my life didn't require a lot of money just the right people and the right settings.
lets look at it this way; what would make you happier? would getting the phone number of that attractive person/getting a compliment for an attractive person vs find say 50 bucks on the ground make you happier?
to a person that works for a living, owning a house makes you happy, paying bills makes you sad (well to me it's depressing) especially if you don't make enough money to cover all your basic needs (food, water, clothes, roof over your head). so at some level it gives you the illusion of happiness, because without money you'll be out on the street. what if you hate your job? does money buy you happiness then? you're happy (or somewhat happy) when you are paid but the time between pay cheques you are miserable or at least depressed. what are you left with after you cover your basic needs? if anything is left? how can money buy you happiness then if you have to use it all just to survive?
one must also consider the house of cards money/currency has created, look at america and the deficit spending they are doing, borrowing on your future can only go so far before it all comes crashing down on you under a huge pile of debt. to an individual money could buy you some level of happiness to a country as a whole money causes problems, mainly how to keep currency valuable. in the current state, money is valuable because it is owed not because it has some sort of intrinsic value, it's just paper, or numbers that we deem as valuable, in essence we trade debt.
let say we take the "star trek" approach and believe at some point in time that our technology becomes so amazing that all the social problems are solved, no more hunger, no more poverty, education for all, jobs for all, and housing for all. i know it is fictional but there could be a day where we see how currency may change and the exchange of currency with it. what will 'buy' you happiness then? once the basic human needs are fulfilled pleasure seeking becomes the next step but what if pleasure was free? what ever thrill you seek doesn't cost you a cent, just your time. imagine you don't pay for anything you can work if you want or play if you want and there are venues for all of that. of course at the current state and mentality of people they may not understand, they would expect people to always want to play or have fun, but what if work and fun were one in the same, you enjoy what you do you enjoy that others enjoy what you do (ie running an amusement park).
happiness has changed over time, one could imagine that, to a caveman or ancient man, happiness was a successful hunt, a night with your woman, and a safe place to sleep near a warm fire. as our technology progressed our view of happiness slowly has changed, but some things remain the same-the need for a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your stomach, and if you are lucky enough the company of someone dear to you.
sometimes i do believe the best things in life are free, but some experiences in life that you may seek will cost you some amount of money and can make you happy for a period of time.
to some extent money can buy you temporal happiness, a truly happy individual requires more than just money, it requires an outlook on life and the means to attain that outlook.
just my opinion as i have thought about it a lot. some of the most happy moments in my life didn't require a lot of money just the right people and the right settings.
lets look at it this way; what would make you happier? would getting the phone number of that attractive person/getting a compliment for an attractive person vs find say 50 bucks on the ground make you happier?
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Rich people complain money doesn't by happiness because thereis not enough foam on their latte while poor people lament that money could give them money to feed their family and keep a roof over their heads.
Ask a person who was rich and now is broke the question - I think it will be a little more realistic. Marilyn Lastman was asked the same question and her answer was: I've been poor before I was rich and I'm much happier being rich.
Both my parents passed away before they made it to 60.
They were lovely, loving exemplary human beings anyone would love to have as parents. The best thing that ever happened to me.
I have inheritances, insurances and properties willed to me that anyone would kill for.
I would give it all back to have my Mother cook one - just one - more meal for me.
Does $$$ buy happiness: ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Some comfort maybe yes. Happiness not.
Don't confuse Comfort with Happiness.
They were lovely, loving exemplary human beings anyone would love to have as parents. The best thing that ever happened to me.
I have inheritances, insurances and properties willed to me that anyone would kill for.
I would give it all back to have my Mother cook one - just one - more meal for me.
Does $$$ buy happiness: ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Some comfort maybe yes. Happiness not.
Don't confuse Comfort with Happiness.
I agree. Generally, I would offer that people who do not have money, think that money buys happiness.
I think the Beatles had it right -- Money can't buy me love. I think it can buy comfort and luxury, which increase happiness, in the short term anyway.
Thats for temporary relief. On an hourly basis its actually cheaper
to buy love by making your favourite MPA or SP a mistress, sugar
baby or trophy wife.
Of course money can't buy the state of happiness, it can help create it for a while, enhance it too, and it can make others happy for a little while and it can inspire others for a little while. It can buy a higher degree of freedom, somtimes time too. Happiness is not an item, or a commodity or even a lifestyle, its a feeling. Feelings ebb and flow.
Doing what you love to do, which may be many things, helps keep you happy but everyone should recognize that in this society, in this world, you have to have money, but its only good for one thing and that is spending, balancing out the making/spending/saving is the administrative game we drudgingly play.
Oh BTW don't be complacent, that will turn you into a fat, unmotivated slob quickly.
