"Money is a menace to happiness"

[scalp100]

Quote from olias:

I've thought a lot about the relationship of money and happiness, and here is one of my theories as to why the rich are sometimes the most miserable. See the average person who is not happy can always console himself in the hope that someday he will get that large payday, or win the lottery, or find a rich spouse...in other words, there is always hope. 'I may not be happy now, but if I could just fine tune my trading, or hit that big jackpot then life will be great!'. Happiness is always within reach for these people. They can keep hoping and that is what gets them out of bed in the morning.

Whereas the ultra rich, when they have all the money and all the material things they could desire....when they realize they are still not happy (because those are not the things that make most people truly happy) ...they ask 'what else is there?'. I'm still not happy and now I don't even have something to shoot for. I've reached the top and I'm still not happy....and that has got to be a hopeless, desperate feeling. Worse, having huge wealth actually pushes away the things that make most people truly happy. It hinders all your relationships because now everybody is trying to use you, or kiss your ass so they can be around you. They want a part of you. Even your family often times will treat you that way. . or they will be jealous. I really don't envy the wealthy.

"now everything's a little upside down. As a matter of fact, the wheels have stopped. What's good is bad. What's bad is good. You'll find out when you reached to top...you're on the bottom" ---Bob Dylan

I agree. The dream is always better then reality, because your dream is 100% in your control.

 

[Dalmation]

Quote from Thermactor:

Family: U.S. Senator William A. Clark, centre, joins his daughter, Huguette, at the Easter Parade in New York. He left her billions of dollars when he died.

Look at those top hats!

Those outfits rock! Canes, tophats. Gonna find one on eBay and do the rockafella waltz down 5th. What could be cooler?

 

[EMRGLOBAL]

some people prefer seclusion.
__________________________________

Have you spoke to the average brain washed American in the last year?

I prefer seclusion and small circle of friends.

90% of the US population are fucking idiots.

 

[turkeyneck]

Quote from EMRGLOBAL:



I prefer seclusion and small circle of friends.

90% of the US population are fucking idiots.

Quality vs quantity

 

[siki13]

Quote from olias:

I've thought a lot about the relationship of money and happiness, and here is one of my theories as to why the rich are sometimes the most miserable. See the average person who is not happy can always console himself in the hope that someday he will get that large payday, or win the lottery, or find a rich spouse...in other words, there is always hope. 'I may not be happy now, but if I could just fine tune my trading, or hit that big jackpot then life will be great!'. Happiness is always within reach for these people. They can keep hoping and that is what gets them out of bed in the morning.

Whereas the ultra rich, when they have all the money and all the material things they could desire....when they realize they are still not happy (because those are not the things that make most people truly happy) ...they ask 'what else is there?'. I'm still not happy and now I don't even have something to shoot for. I've reached the top and I'm still not happy....and that has got to be a hopeless, desperate feeling. Worse, having huge wealth actually pushes away the things that make most people truly happy. It hinders all your relationships because now everybody is trying to use you, or kiss your ass so they can be around you. They want a part of you. Even your family often times will treat you that way. . or they will be jealous. I really don't envy the wealthy.

Interesting theory.
I hope its not true

 

[Gabfly1]

Quote from EMRGLOBAL:

...I prefer seclusion and small circle of friends.

90% of the US population are fucking idiots.

Have you ever wondered why there is a "fucking idiot" wherever you go?

 

[Dalmation]

Quote from EMRGLOBAL:

some people prefer seclusion.
__________________________________

Have you spoke to the average brain washed American in the last year?

I prefer seclusion and small circle of friends.

90% of the US population are fucking idiots.

DJ. Seclusion? Something seems off. Care to explain

 

[Gabfly1]

Quote from olias:

I've thought a lot about the relationship of money and happiness, and here is one of my theories as to why the rich are sometimes the most miserable. See the average person who is not happy can always console himself in the hope that someday he will get that large payday, or win the lottery, or find a rich spouse...in other words, there is always hope. 'I may not be happy now, but if I could just fine tune my trading, or hit that big jackpot then life will be great!'. Happiness is always within reach for these people. They can keep hoping and that is what gets them out of bed in the morning.

Whereas the ultra rich, when they have all the money and all the material things they could desire....when they realize they are still not happy (because those are not the things that make most people truly happy) ...they ask 'what else is there?'. I'm still not happy and now I don't even have something to shoot for. I've reached the top and I'm still not happy....and that has got to be a hopeless, desperate feeling. Worse, having huge wealth actually pushes away the things that make most people truly happy. It hinders all your relationships because now everybody is trying to use you, or kiss your ass so they can be around you. They want a part of you. Even your family often times will treat you that way. . or they will be jealous. I really don't envy the wealthy.

"now everything's a little upside down. As a matter of fact, the wheels have stopped. What's good is bad. What's bad is good. You'll find out when you reached to top...you're on the bottom" ---Bob Dylan

I think the only thing you isolated between these two groups is unhappiness and the need to fill a psychological void with material accumulation. Both are unhappy and will continue to be unhappy because they are aiming at the flames rather than at the source. Happiness will always be just out of reach for them, however far their reach may be. Happy people come in all socioeconomic configurations, as do unhappy people. However, reading about the unhappy rich just gives us more pause because it seems somewhat incongruent and makes us wonder about the source of our own happiness or unhappiness.

And then there is the matter of the unhappy non-rich still having to get out of bed each morning and earn a living to pay their bills and survive. They are forced to live more in the present during such times, and must subordinate their unhappiness for fleeting lengths of time, as they set aside regrets of the past and worries about the future and so on. Whereas the unhappy rich can languish in self-pity more comfortably and devote more time to their unhappiness.

In the end, the people who are genuinely happy, and not just masking the odor of unhappiness, are those who accept themselves and are happy from within. It's all been said before.

 

[Larson]

Quote from Gabfly1:

I think the only thing you isolated between these two groups is unhappiness and the need to fill a psychological void with material accumulation. Both are unhappy and will continue to be unhappy because they are aiming at the flames rather than at the source. Happiness will always be just out of reach for them, however far their reach may be. Happy people come in all socioeconomic configurations, as do unhappy people. However, reading about the unhappy rich just gives us more pause because it seems somewhat incongruent and makes us wonder about the source of our own happiness or unhappiness.

And then there is the matter of the unhappy non-rich still having to get out of bed each morning and earn a living to pay their bills and survive. They are forced to live more in the present during such times, and must subordinate their unhappiness for fleeting lengths of time, as they set aside regrets of the past and worries about the future and so on. Whereas the unhappy rich can languish in self-pity more comfortably and devote more time to their unhappiness.

In the end, the people who are genuinely happy, and not just masking the odor of unhappiness, are those who accept themselves and are happy from within. It's all been said before.

"
"To thyself.....be true" Good post.

 

[Larson]

Quote from EMRGLOBAL:

some people prefer seclusion.
__________________________________

Have you spoke to the average brain washed American in the last year?

I prefer seclusion and small circle of friends.

90% of the US population are fucking idiots.

It is all about Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Inflation, unemployment, rapid societal change, a failing central gov't, etc. are taking their toll. So, there is a reason you are running into so many "fucking idiots". We probably won't recognize USA in a decade.