Money can't buy happiness

[traderdragon]

"In the end, you will not be remembered for the money. It is about the lives you touched and the people you helped. "

Touching lives requires money. Transportation to meet them. Money to do things with them, to eat together, whatever.

Helping people requires money. Phone calls require money. Face to face communication requires transportation = money. Talking requires calories, which requires food, which requires money. Having somewhere to live within reasonable proximity to these people, requires money.

Virtually all happiness requires money in the end.

The more money you have, the easier it is to "help and touch the lives of other people"

 

[EqtTrdr]

Quote from ChaosNSX:

Although I have read some quality posts on the subject, this one rings truest.

Its not having what you want, its wanting what you got.

Every one prays for this, prays for that, wants this, wants that.

I feel it serves a person more spiritually and psychologically to have thoughts of gratitude. There is so much to be thankful for rich or poor. Healthy kids, a solid and loving relationship, being able to pursue your passion. Finding meaning in your life.

try having "healthy kids" without money to keep them healthy... try having a "solid and loving relationship" when all you do is fight over bills..... try being able to "pursue your passion" without the financial means to live day to day or depending on what that passion is, invest enough money to see it to fruition....


Money = Happiness = Lesson over...

 

[traderdragon]

Hahahaha, pretty much. I get tired of this PC crap of "money cant buy you happiness". Like a damn broken record designed to make all the losers feel better about themselves.

Show me a man that is happy, and ill show you all the money he used to be happy.

Quote from EqtTrdr:
Money = Happiness = Lesson over... [/B]

 

[SethArb]

a yr or so ago ... I heard a story

about a religious man with a large family who was
poor and in bad health living in jerusalem

a rich man from the USA went to visit him

and left remarking ... he would give all his

wealth away to be happy like the gentleman
who had nothing but his joy of family and
spirituality

 

[ChaosNSX]

Good one..

Quote from SethArb:

a yr or so ago ... I heard a story

about a religious man with a large family who was
poor and in bad health living in jerusalem

a rich man from the USA went to visit him

and left remarking ... he would give all his

wealth away to be happy like the gentleman
who had nothing but his joy of family and
spirituality

 

[granville]

A quote I read/heard recently:

"What good is happiness if it can't buy money?"

LOL

 

[nbates]

In a day gone by, I once had an old Korean Sensei pose somewhat of a similar question to me; "And when will you know that you are rich?".

I had no answer, so he advised; "You will know you are rich once you know that you have enough!".

-kimchi

 

[dchang0]

Considering that money is a social construct--emphasis on the word social--and that happiness is completely individual* and mostly internal, the saying "money can't buy happiness" is definitely true.

* Some might argue that happiness requires social interaction and while that is true, the actual experience of feeling happy is entirely individual.

For instance, the happiness you feel when looking joyfully at your loved ones may be stimulated by their presence but is still felt entirely within. And it is entirely possible to feel happy when seeing your mate at one moment and then feel absolutely rotten at the next.

Furthermore, it is possible to make yourself feel happy or sad, even given the exact same stimulus. It is entirely up to you--a conscious or (usually) subconscious decision on your part to be happy or sad

 

[Susukino]

Hedonistic (or hedonic) adaptation is an definitely an issue. In *this* context that boils down to the problem you face when you get more money and find new ways to use it, then get used to your new standard of living. The net result is that you are not really any happier than when you started.

I'm an equity analyst working in an Asian market and although I'm a long way from being a Big Swinging Dick, I'm doing OK. I've seen from my colleagues that it's easy to fall the habit of adding to your material possessions in such a way that you have to keep working flat out to pay for them.

You start making some money as a kid new to the financial industry and naturally you want to show it off, so you buy a BMW. Then you move to a bigger appartment. Then you buy a second house at the beach or in the mountains. Then you replace the BMW with a Ferrari and get another car for the wife. Then you buy a house in the US or Europe. It just goes on - and all these things cost money just to continue doing (try getting your Ferrari serviced). At what point do you say "I have enough"?

To my mind, "enough" is sufficient money to retire and live comfortably without having to work. I certainly spent a lot of money in unwise ways in the past (and why not, only young once) but I try to keep a lid on it now. I could buy an Italian supercar for cash tomorrow, but instead I have a little Toyota compact because driving a Lambo isn't important for me. What matters to me is getting to the point where I am no longer dependent on somebody else for my income; that's where all my efforts are focused.

There's plenty of debate about whether the hedonistic adaptation theory is correct or not. I think it's partially correct. A certain level of money makes things sooooo much easier. Not having to worry about being to pay not just for the basics but for holidays, toys, fancy clothes and so on takes a tremendous amount of pressure off. So in that sense the theory is wrong: a base level of money is really important.

But beyond that point - unless you can resist the pressure to keep up with your peers and piss money away trying to copy them - it will not help much. In that sense the theory is right and it applies as much in the suburbs of a US city as it does here in Tokyo, in my opinion.

Susukino

 

[Walther]

Quote from SethArb:

a yr or so ago ... I heard a story

about a religious man with a large family who was
poor and in bad health living in jerusalem

a rich man from the USA went to visit him

and left remarking ... he would give all his

wealth away to be happy like the gentleman
who had nothing but his joy of family and
spirituality

Never happened. Older Jewish people are miserable by design.