IF there is a God/higher being(s), humans do not know who or what it is. "Relationships" with "God" don't exist and are one way streets. Sorry to break the news. :-/
ROCK
money equals happiness ???
- Thread starter marketsurfer
- Start date
ROCK
Surf,
IMHO, the most important thing that excess money buys you is the Freedom to not have to sell your time for money. After that is shelter and food/water, paying for your kids education and socking away money so that our families can live decently in old age and be able to do a little traveling.
I swear with all my heart to you when I tell you this: In _THIS_ country, it is very difficult to be "happy" without a decent amount of money because everything costs so much - it is a struggle to survive on a daily basis. However, imagine a democracy such as ours where access to terrific health care was essentially free, a terrific education system was essentially free all the way to advanced degrees, we all had a fusion generator in our back yard for free limitless energy needs, and further imagine that food and shelter were easily affordable to all and that we all lived in decent attractive neighborhoods. Well, I argue that in that case, we would worry less about money, and that those that pursued money agreesively in that case would be as an ego trip [if money, as we know it today, would even exist.]
This country is set up so that the best competitve spirit in human beings is captured/encouraged through the monetarization of everything. However, it is clear to me that this system only works because those that Have employ those that do not have access to those [natural] resources that I mentioned above. These questions are amongst the most deeply econo/philosophic questions that man has asked, and every attempt at goverment since the beginning of time has been an economic experiment...
I for one hope to see himankind reach a Startrek like society where access to natural resources is abundant to all, and that given all the free time we would then have at our disposal, we dedicate ourselves to becoming teachers, or artists, or explorers, or philiosophers, or scientists, or doctors, or musicians, or astronauts, etc.,[ or chess grandmasters, ;-)] all for it's own sake.
BTW, allow me turn the question around and ask you : Would you still trade passionately if you were worth, say, $1B?
nitro
IMHO, the most important thing that excess money buys you is the Freedom to not have to sell your time for money. After that is shelter and food/water, paying for your kids education and socking away money so that our families can live decently in old age and be able to do a little traveling.
I swear with all my heart to you when I tell you this: In _THIS_ country, it is very difficult to be "happy" without a decent amount of money because everything costs so much - it is a struggle to survive on a daily basis. However, imagine a democracy such as ours where access to terrific health care was essentially free, a terrific education system was essentially free all the way to advanced degrees, we all had a fusion generator in our back yard for free limitless energy needs, and further imagine that food and shelter were easily affordable to all and that we all lived in decent attractive neighborhoods. Well, I argue that in that case, we would worry less about money, and that those that pursued money agreesively in that case would be as an ego trip [if money, as we know it today, would even exist.]
This country is set up so that the best competitve spirit in human beings is captured/encouraged through the monetarization of everything. However, it is clear to me that this system only works because those that Have employ those that do not have access to those [natural] resources that I mentioned above. These questions are amongst the most deeply econo/philosophic questions that man has asked, and every attempt at goverment since the beginning of time has been an economic experiment...
I for one hope to see himankind reach a Startrek like society where access to natural resources is abundant to all, and that given all the free time we would then have at our disposal, we dedicate ourselves to becoming teachers, or artists, or explorers, or philiosophers, or scientists, or doctors, or musicians, or astronauts, etc.,[ or chess grandmasters, ;-)] all for it's own sake.
BTW, allow me turn the question around and ask you : Would you still trade passionately if you were worth, say, $1B?
nitro
I asked myself that question many times when I chose trading as a career. What I came up with is that NO, I wouldn't still trade if I had between $2-$4 million in liquid assets. I would invest it in bonds and live off the $70,000 interest/yr and pursue personal hobbies. Trading is a lot of fun and keeps my mind sharp, but trading is *hopefully* a means to money which is a means to financial freedom.
Here's the real question: "is life really about happiness"? In other words, if a poor guy can make himself happier by making himself rich, what does it matter?
Happiness is a peculiarly American idea. Most other cultures are concerned about things like honor and leaving behind a lasting legacy. Maybe that's the question that should be asked?
Happiness is a peculiarly American idea. Most other cultures are concerned about things like honor and leaving behind a lasting legacy. Maybe that's the question that should be asked?
The saying "money can't buy happiness" was a term invented to make poor people feel good about themselves
My view is completely subjective, but I've been really broke before and pretty well off before and all I can say is this - when you can't afford to pay to have the holes in your teeth fixed or buy the people you love even a small gift at Xmas, then life is pretty shit. When you're thousands in debt and you know that within a few weeks you're probably going to be bankrupt, have your credit rating destroyed and possibly never have another chance at a reasonable life, the stress crushes you. You lose the ability to laugh, even to smile.
The worse thing about having no money in a country where nearly everyone has it, is the personal feeling of failure that accompanies the situation. You hate your life and you hate being who you are and you regret every decision you ever made that led to the point you're at. At this point, killing yourself becomes a real option.
Maybe money can't buy happiness, but it can buy freedom, comfort, first class medical and dental, high quality food, and a plane ticket to a warm beach when you feel you need to get away from it all.
Runningbear
My view is completely subjective, but I've been really broke before and pretty well off before and all I can say is this - when you can't afford to pay to have the holes in your teeth fixed or buy the people you love even a small gift at Xmas, then life is pretty shit. When you're thousands in debt and you know that within a few weeks you're probably going to be bankrupt, have your credit rating destroyed and possibly never have another chance at a reasonable life, the stress crushes you. You lose the ability to laugh, even to smile.
The worse thing about having no money in a country where nearly everyone has it, is the personal feeling of failure that accompanies the situation. You hate your life and you hate being who you are and you regret every decision you ever made that led to the point you're at. At this point, killing yourself becomes a real option.
Maybe money can't buy happiness, but it can buy freedom, comfort, first class medical and dental, high quality food, and a plane ticket to a warm beach when you feel you need to get away from it all.
Runningbear
Agree. Money CANNOT buy happiness. But if you are penniless, your lives are definitely miserable. Money can give you a lot of freedom. If you are rich:
1. Would you get stuck at a 9 to 5 job, that is physically exhausting and mentally not stimulating ?
2. Would you care about office politics ?
3. Would you go to the office, when you are sick ?
4. Would you kiss the ass of your boss ?
However, if you become a slave of money, that is, you dedicate your life to earning money, then it is a different story.
Just my two cents.
Quote from marketsurfer:
this question is often asked by those on the way up financially. my thoughts on the matter is that the PROPER use of money brings one happiness---
i have just returned from an estate sale where the person bought a very nice house and 5 acres for 4.5 million. he is planning on tearing the house down and building a 30k sq foot house on the lot. i was wondering, is this guy happy ?? man, i think i would be in those circumstances--but who knows. is this the PROPER use of money ??
any thoughts ??
surfer
Money, on occasion, can buy temporary happiness.