Money and happiness
Money does not buy happiness. That statment is mostly true, except for the fact that, as Comedian Daniel Tosh points out: Money can buy a waverunner. And have you ever seen a sad person riding a waverunner? Probably not.
But the point is this: there is more to happiness then material and monetary gain. One of my (conservative) friends tried to refute that. It started out when this one girl said that she wanted to pursue a liberal arts degre. And he said something to the effect of "have fun with that, pshhhhhhhhh" and I asked: Whats wrong with a liberal arts degree? And he says that a liberal arts degree is the least applicaple degree and won't get you paid ect.
The thing that really disturbs me about this is that he really thinks that all you need to be happy is money. I asked him what about friends and family? He said that such things gravitate naturally to people with money power and connections.
I think happiness comes from within. I think a person who is living in a crappy apartment, with a person who they truly love, doing work that leaves behind something that you built that is worth something. Can be much happier then someone doing a job they hate so that they can be married to someone who hates them but loves money. I know those are stereotypes but the comparison is fair I believe
Look: in a little more then 100 years, everybody who is now living on earth, will be dead. So the things that matter are the things that advance the human journey, not a shady lawyer raking in cash and spinning facts, not the real estate tycoon manipulating the "free" market. But the writer, who composes a classic, the musician, who makes audible beauty, the artist, who inspires dreams, and the philosopher, who furthers the discussion.
None of those jobs are necessarily super high paying, but they make the difference, and I think the idea of creating something that you can truly be proud of, that is what makes us happy, not a ferrari or a mansion.
The meaning of life: What you create with what you are given.
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Comments
Money in itself does not bring happiness; it's dependent on how you use it that determines your emotional outcome. Money is a tool for happiness. Material possession and entertainment can bring happiness temporarily after the initial change has taken place.
Money is important; the lack of it often brings conflict and unhappiness. I've never met an individual that was content living in poverty. The lack of money in marriages and homes is usually the contributing factor to insinuate arguments, divorce, and marital unhappiness. Having a financial burden is struggling and stressful in comparison to emotional situations and interpersonal conflicts. I for one am a witness of this effect coming from an underprivileged home in which case bankruptcy has destroyed my family. Where this is not always the case in ever situation; over 50% of divorces are tied to monetary gains (or depletion).
Of course this is a personal testimony, but I can stand behind the notion that money (as an enabler) brings happiness to my life. Due to my income, I've been able to carry out ambitions in my life that has brought me insight, happiness, and personal growth. Without money I would never be able to attend college, never be able to start my own business, never be able to live independently, and never be able to afford modern conveniences that make my life luxurious. This could be attributed to my lack of financial wealth during childhood. If I had known opportunity since birth I may be inclined to under appreciate it.
Overall, I'm a firm believer that money brings happiness if you are responsible and use it to it's full advantage. If you are miserable, than it is because of interpersonal conflicts, individual circumstances, or any other non-financially related conflict. No amount of money would bring a depressed individual out of their misery because the two variables are non-correlated.
You do not need to be rich to enjoy life but you do need to be financially able to handle your own individual lifestyle.
I think that you're right, but, I do want to stress the point I'm trying to make by asking you this question:What is more important, excessive wealth, or a more interesting job? Assume that the interesting job offers enough money to support you and you're family, if you have one.
An interesting job that suites your lifestyle and provides for your family. You don't need to make excessive money in order to live a happy and fulfilled lifestyle. If your enjoy your job but are struggled financially than you should best asses your personal needs and weigh out what is more important in your life. The best situation is to be employed at a job you enjoy and bring enough monetary wealth to your life. This is all on an individual level. Some people need more than others.
I agree with you, my friend was basically arguing that with enough money, everything else will just find a way to work itself out and I disagreed with that.
It is sometimes hard to avoid the idea that money buys happiness because we live in such a materialistic society, where we are constantly bombarded with messages telling us that if we buy such and such (a car, a chocolate cake, a certain brand of shampoo) we will be happier. Having money can make you happier, but it is usually short-term and people who rely too much on money and accomplishments for their happiness end up being let down eventually. Why do so many celebrities battle with addictions? Contrary to what Jesse Stephens said, I think that you can be happy even if there is a strain to meet end's meet and you are struggling. You have to look to other sources for strenghts and happiness, such as God, or in taking pleasure in the small, simple things.
I agree that money does not make people happy, but the world does revolve around money and that is the sad truth. At least, our society does. For some people, all their life they have struggled to get money just to support themselves. Some get lost to drugs or gambling or other to ways of getting money. Rich or poor, you can be obsessed with money. You can be addicted to shopping, or addicted to having paper in your wallet. There are a million and one examples of ways that money can eat up people's minds. But my point is that I definitately think that its important to find something in life that makes you truly happy. Something that you would do even if nobody paid you to do it. Because when it comes down to it, we all need money to support ourselves, but there are things that are priceless, things that we have to discover for ourselves that create happiness. I know that what I live for can't be bought. But I still need money to get by in this world.
I don't think that you can really take examples of lives to say "oh these people are poor and happy, but these people are rich and sad". I think that in any situation and life style there are happy and sad people, it depends on the person and what really makes them happy. for some people, money may really be the thing that makes them happy. Also, for a family that is struggling it seems that it would almost be impossible to be happy with the strain put on them to make ends meet, no matter how much love they share.
I definately agree that there are a lot of poor, sad people and rich, happy ones. To clarify I was trying to say that it is possible to have "nothing" and be happy, and have "everything" and be miserable.
You can definitely be happy without having tons of money, but it certainly helps.
And the people that work and raise families are just as important, if not more so, than the people that philosophize and make art. Otherwise, who will listen to the music, view the art, and provide the funding for these things to take place?
This is a well written and sound point. It is hard, during a recession to look past the issue of money, money, money. What you said is true, money is not happiness. I have seen videos of Ugandan children with absolutely nothing, smiling and laughing. And I have seen tabloids and gossip shows featuring countless celebrities inexpclicably crying or screaming at a spouse. The difference between the wealthiness of these two lifestyles is staggering, however, the difference between their levels of happiness is as well. Sometimes, money causes people to lose track of the more important things in life. You said that your friend said he believes family and friends are simply drawn to those with wealth, but is that truly happiness? Knowing that the reason people stay around you is do to your connections? The most rewarding things in life cannot be kept in a bank.
Dude Dwyman, this was sooo my note to write. Hahaha, but I'm glad you wrote it because I probably wouldn't have gotten around to it for a while.
I was thinking maybe I should've just copied/pasted my comment from Faboo to here.
I really want to be a journalist. Its a hard job that takes time and energy, but its what i am passionate about. It does not pay well and is a competitive job. I think I would be happy doing it even if I was getting paid a small salary. I think that happiness can come in all shapes and sizes. For some money might equal happiness. For me it does not.