"Power and, yes, money will certainly increase your chances of making you, and those around you, healthier and happier," he writes in the book.
The notoriously blunt musician tells CNBC Make It that anyone who says otherwise is "so wrong."
"Money absolutely buys happiness," says Simmons. He gives this example: Imagine that your mother needs a hip replacement, he says, or that she's got cancer and has one chance of survival.
"Without money, you're f-----," he says. "If you cure your mother, or give to charity, or feed your child or protect your family — it is only money that can do that."
The outspoken musician explains that he doesn't prescribe to the notion that money is insignificant and all you need in life is love.
"That's a lie," he says, adding that money is not a "romantic idea."
"The Ethiopian woman on the sands of the Kalahari Desert in Africa gives her child all the love any child could ever want," he says. But that's not enough.
"She doesn't have any money or power," explains Simmons. "That child will be loved and will die in her arms."
The rock star adds that money is so vital because it allows you to meet your most basic physiological needs. In his book, the Kiss singer references the hierarchy of needs pyramid, which was developed by renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow.
Maslow's theory argues that there is an order in which humans worry about things they need to survive and flourish. At the very bottom of the pyramid are "physiological needs," which include food, shelter and clothing.
Higher up on the pyramid are needs like safety, love, esteem and self-actualization. However, says Simmons, you can't even begin to climb up the pyramid if you don't have money to sustain your most basic needs at the bottom rung.
Only when you have money to buy the items you need to survive can you begin to espouse love, says the musician. "First money, then love," he says, adding that "if you're going to be a miserable son of a b----, it's still better to be a rich miserable son of a b----."
Simmons reiterates the importance of acquiring money if you want to be happy and he uses lottery winners as an example.
"You ever see a person who wins the lottery and wins $100 million? How sad do they look?" he asks sarcastically.
"Money is the fuel of life," says the musician. "Without money, you're going nowhere."
"You ever see a person who wins the lottery and wins $100 million? How sad do they look?" he asks sarcastically.
I'd settle for the seven inch tongue.That being said, I can tell you, I would be a heck of a lot happier if I knew I didn't have to worry about paying bills, mortgages, college tuition's, etc.
I am pretty sure that saying just meant that not all people with money are happy. Recent events prove that with people like Robin Williams and Chester Bennington. I don't think it was an be all end all statement. If I am being honest, the happiest people I know are either rich, or poor. I think it is cause neither of them are worried about stuff. The rich people have it, and the poor people could care less about it.
That being said, I can tell you, I would be a heck of a lot happier if I knew I didn't have to worry about paying bills, mortgages, college tuition's, etc.
Hoarding money doesn't buy happiness. Spending it absolutely does. Nobody said you have to spend it all though.
Hey look at that, has anyone ever coined the phrase... "everything in moderation"?
Rich person tells poor people money doesn't buy happiness. Anyone who believes this is an idiot.
Why are you so miserable?
Far as I can tell people buy fancy stuff get tired of it and start looking for the next thing they think will make them happy. Problem for us commoners is we run out of money for we get there, making us miserable like you. Thats the only difference between us and the rich they just don't run out of money making things worse. If you don't blow all your money on stupid shit you don't need you'll be just fine.
maybe ask the same 10-20 years later? So many stories of lottery winners becoming absolute train wrecks
and his examples are horrible. yes you need a certain amount of money to meet your basic needs. however, above that level more money doesn't necessarily make you happier
as even he seems to acknowledge "if you're going to be a miserable son of a b----, it's still better to be a rich miserable son of a b----"
The hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation, is the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes.[1] According to this theory, as a person makes more money, expectations and desires rise in tandem, which results in no permanent gain in happiness.