Will money buy YOU happiness?

[Marinski]

Does money make you unhappy?

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: glutenberg

Originally posted by: Vic
I'm not going to argue this point with high school kids who've never seen the real world, or don't know what having money is like.
In the meantime, I'll take the real life experiences of real people who have been through it. Ask Cobain what money was like. Ask Staley what he thought about having more money than he could spend. Ask countless others of the unhappy rich.
If you're not happy with your life now, how are you going to be happy when all your dreams have come true and you have nothing left to dream for anymore?

On the flip side. Ask Bill Gates if he's happy. Ask Warren Buffet if he's happy. Ask Ted Turner if he's happy. Ask Oprah if she's happy. Ask JK Rowling if she's happy. Ask Steve Jobs if he's happy. Ask Lloyd Blankfein if he's happy. You can't nitpick people, in particular, artists, and claim that they're an example of the rest of the rich people in this world. For every rich artist that has committed suicide or overdosed on drugs, I'm sure you can find many more poor people (who didn't receive publicity and are just another hash on the statistic chart) who have also been miserable from being poor.

How long have those people you just mentioned worked to accumulate their wealth?

The other thing is, you assume that they are relatively happier than your average Joe, and by studies and statistics, they are not.

Also, look at Warren Buffet's life. He did not change his lifestyle and he is giving away all his money when he passes because he realizes there are more important things to a fulfilling life than money.

Another thing J.K. Rowling was homeless before she wrote those books, and she has even stated that the increased publicity and the demand on her for the books in wearing her down.

Look at either extreme, extreme poverty or extreme wealth and you find different problems that cause relative happiness and sadness. Happiness is a mentallity. You have people who work the same monotonous jobs, but are relatively happy with their lives. Money isn't the issue.

On the other hand, being well off enough to do whatever you want is very nice, but what is stopping the majority of you from doing that anyways. You realize that if you own a computer (you do because you are posting), that you are in the top 10-15% richest people in the world. The fact that most of you are going to college, have gone to college, or have stable jobs, also says that you are in the top 10%, at least. You have opportunities that many people in the world will never have, yet somehow, being richer and having more money somehow will make you happier. A misnomer. The trick to happiness is being content with your life, finding meaning and fulfillment in it, and enjoying and helping the people that are put around you. You can do that with almost any amount of average money.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: Marinski
Does money make you unhappy?

Does unhappiness make you money?

 

[krunchykrome]

It will buy you a piece of mind, which can reduce stress, which naturally will make you a happier person.

 

[JLGatsby]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
What I think you fail to understand (apologies for sounding harsh) is that freedom and wealth as the pinnacle of life are socially constructed within our society. We are taught to believe that freedom is essential, that individuality matters. The reality is, however, we could have been taught the opposite and could leave happy, productive, lives in a different society.

I win on all four points. Part of it, you invent this "money is a burden" myth, but give no solid examples. Other parts you don't even explain yourself, just invent out of nowhere statements (""you could argue it makes it harder.") with no basis.

And in the quote part, you're just blurring what "happiness" is. Yeah I guess some people in North Korea are happy to, but the truth is they don't know what true happiness is.

My arguments are far stronger than yours.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: krunchykrome
It will buy you a piece of mind, which can reduce stress, which naturally will make you a happier person.

:Q

I think you mean peace. :Q

 

[glutenberg]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: glutenberg

Originally posted by: Vic
I'm not going to argue this point with high school kids who've never seen the real world, or don't know what having money is like.
In the meantime, I'll take the real life experiences of real people who have been through it. Ask Cobain what money was like. Ask Staley what he thought about having more money than he could spend. Ask countless others of the unhappy rich.
If you're not happy with your life now, how are you going to be happy when all your dreams have come true and you have nothing left to dream for anymore?

On the flip side. Ask Bill Gates if he's happy. Ask Warren Buffet if he's happy. Ask Ted Turner if he's happy. Ask Oprah if she's happy. Ask JK Rowling if she's happy. Ask Steve Jobs if he's happy. Ask Lloyd Blankfein if he's happy. You can't nitpick people, in particular, artists, and claim that they're an example of the rest of the rich people in this world. For every rich artist that has committed suicide or overdosed on drugs, I'm sure you can find many more poor people (who didn't receive publicity and are just another hash on the statistic chart) who have also been miserable from being poor.

How long have those people you just mentioned worked to accumulate their wealth?

I'm sure many years but there are plenty of rich, successful people who have also inherited their wealth. Success in life is pretty much timing moreso than anything else.

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: her209
Desire leads to wanting.

Wanting leads to jealousy.

Jealousy leads to suffering.

Suffering leads to hate.

Hate leads to fear.

Fear... leads to the dark side...

</yoda>

how does jealousy lead to suffering?

so being a celibate jedi communist makes one happy?

 

[Bryan]

I'd build a big money vault and swim in it ala Scrooge McDuck. That'd make me happy.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: glutenberg

Why wouldn't freedom help you find happiness? The problems arise when you sacrifice your own personal integrity for the sake of becoming rich, that's when you run into problems.

It seems that freedom (due to being financially secure whether it be from being absurdly rich or just rich) allows you to have the time and means to:
1.) Find a companion
2.) Find a purpose in life.
3.) Find more meaningful ways to occupy your time.
4.) Raise a good family. (Being rich does not mean that your kids automatically become bad).

Like I said though Freedom just presents new problems, as does money. They aren't necessarily any harder than the problems you have without money, but they certainly aren't much easier.

It's funny, I wrote up a huge response to this, but I deleted it simply because I think that it depends on what kind of person you are. For some people, I have no doubt that money would buy them happiness, but for others I think it would just buy them a new set of problems or worries.

 

[Slew Foot]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby


Money buys freedom. Freedom is the ultimate happiness.

Freedom from a job. Freedom to pursue your hobbies. Freedom to travel and discover new things/places/people.

Exactly, the major source of stress in people's lives is working. While money by itself wont make you happy, the freedom of knowing you're not going to be tossed into the street if you lose your job leaves you open to explore the world and everything in it.

 

[roguerower]

Hellz yea it would

Just because I have an absurd amount of money doesn't mean I'll not get a job and just quit doing what I like. I'd still do the job that I'm planning when I get out of college, and I wouldn't go overboard. I can tell you exactly what I would do with the money:

-Serve in the USMC like I'm planning, and when the time comes either stay or quit.
-Put the money in a account and then hire some company to invest and donate.
-When I leave the military, buy a house on the Outer Banks, buy a Offshore fishing boat and set up a charter business.

The problem with money is when people get an absurd amount and then forgot who they are and what they like doing and just start going crazy.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: ManSnake
Only poor people would say "Money won't buy you happiness" just to make themselves feel better.

Quite the opposite. Only poor people can possibly think that being rich will solve all their problems.

 

[JLGatsby]

Originally posted by: Vic
Quite the opposite. Only poor people can possibly think that being rich will solve all their problems.

And only a rich person would think that being poor or normal presents no additional problems.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: glutenberg

Originally posted by: Vic
I'm not going to argue this point with high school kids who've never seen the real world, or don't know what having money is like.
In the meantime, I'll take the real life experiences of real people who have been through it. Ask Cobain what money was like. Ask Staley what he thought about having more money than he could spend. Ask countless others of the unhappy rich.
If you're not happy with your life now, how are you going to be happy when all your dreams have come true and you have nothing left to dream for anymore?

On the flip side. Ask Bill Gates if he's happy. Ask Warren Buffet if he's happy. Ask Ted Turner if he's happy. Ask Oprah if she's happy. Ask JK Rowling if she's happy. Ask Steve Jobs if he's happy. Ask Lloyd Blankfein if he's happy. You can't nitpick people, in particular, artists, and claim that they're an example of the rest of the rich people in this world. For every rich artist that has committed suicide or overdosed on drugs, I'm sure you can find many more poor people (who didn't receive publicity and are just another hash on the statistic chart) who have also been miserable from being poor.

All those people made their money as the culmination of their life's dream, and continue to work at it. That last part is key. Happiness comes from working at something you love doing and being rewarded for it. Therein lies the crucial difference to all the BS in this thread. The reward itself is not sufficient.

 

[Thraxen]

Bottom line: Who here doesn't feel happy when they buy a new computer/game system/etc...?

Is money a guarantee of happiness? No. But it CAN buy happiness. End of story. I win.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
What I think you fail to understand (apologies for sounding harsh) is that freedom and wealth as the pinnacle of life are socially constructed within our society. We are taught to believe that freedom is essential, that individuality matters. The reality is, however, we could have been taught the opposite and could leave happy, productive, lives in a different society.

Just because we live in a world where tremendous value is placed on those characteristics doesn't make them better or more correct than another society's ideas.

This is true but, if I got the money, I make the rules and I get to decide what I teach you. In this respect, money does equal freedom (mine) and my freedom makes me happy or would if I had any money.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: Vic
Quite the opposite. Only poor people can possibly think that being rich will solve all their problems.

And only a rich person would think that being poor or normal presents no additional problems.

That's not the topic of this thread. Read the OP again, get back to me. Happiness is not the state of being LESS unhappy.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
What I think you fail to understand (apologies for sounding harsh) is that freedom and wealth as the pinnacle of life are socially constructed within our society. We are taught to believe that freedom is essential, that individuality matters. The reality is, however, we could have been taught the opposite and could leave happy, productive, lives in a different society.

I win on all four points. Part of it, you invent this "money is a burden" myth, but give no solid examples. Other parts you don't even explain yourself, just invent out of nowhere statements (""you could argue it makes it harder.") with no basis.

And in the quote part, you're just blurring what "happiness" is. Yeah I guess some people in North Korea are happy to, but the truth is they don't know what true happiness is.

My arguments are far stronger than yours.

Again, sadly, you are wrong. A good example is the communist system. Recently, many people have been turning out to mourn Stalin and the collapse of the USSR. They are genuinely sad he is gone. Watching a PBS special on this, I thought to myself "oh, this is because they forget how horrible it was under his regime." Well, that certainly played a part but what was more intriguing was that they said they were happier when they were under a communist system because it gave them a purpose and a sense of fulfillment. You find the same thing in East Germany, where many East Germans do not miss the oppressiveness of their government, but do miss how the state provided them with a sense purpose, a mission, a goal. Sure, we can just call them ignorant, but that is selling them and their experiences short.

I'm not saying people in north korea are happy, I am saying YOU have no authority to decide on what happiness is.

I'm not blurring what happiness is, you are confusing material comfort and happiness. They aren't the same, they never will be the same.

 

[Jfrag Teh Foul]

Nope.

 

[Thraxen]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
I'm not saying people in north korea are happy, I am saying YOU have no authority to decide on what happiness is.

I'm not blurring what happiness is, you are confusing material comfort and happiness. They aren't the same, they never will be the same.

You just contradicted yourself. For some people material comfort may indeed be happiness... after all, who are you to say it's not?

 

[BeauJangles]

Sadly, I think I misread the title of this thread and got caught up a meaningless debate in which neither side will concede.

Will my money buy ME happiness? fvck no.

 

[Thraxen]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Sadly, I think I misread the title of this thread and got caught up a meaningless debate in which neither side will concede.

Will my money buy ME happiness? fvck no.

So if I sent you $10K you wouldn't be a little happy?

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: Thraxen

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
I'm not saying people in north korea are happy, I am saying YOU have no authority to decide on what happiness is.

I'm not blurring what happiness is, you are confusing material comfort and happiness. They aren't the same, they never will be the same.

You just contradicted yourself. For some people material comfort may indeed be happiness... after all, who are you to say it's not?

No. No contraction, just differing beliefs.

I would argue happiness is deeper than material comfort.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: Thraxen

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Sadly, I think I misread the title of this thread and got caught up a meaningless debate in which neither side will concede.

Will my money buy ME happiness? fvck no.

So if I sent you $10K you wouldn't be a little happy?

Not really. It would allow me to buy some things I've wanted, but would it change my overall disposition right now? Nope.