Money can't buy happiness
I saw this on a sign today and it ticked me off.
I'm gonna call bullshit on that one, money can mean the difference between life or death for a loved one, money can take away the stress of living paycheck to paycheck... Worrying about car/electric/food/blah blah blah, money can mean not having to sit in one town for 50 years never seeing anything past where you live because you work to damn hard to keep your kids fed. I am an extremely content person, I could have few luxury's and be very happy, but I know for a fact that having some of the stress of everyday life(bills)taken care of would improve my demeanor... hah. Whoever said that money doesn't buy happiness needs to be punched right in the throat ;)
The Money Song, Monty Python
I'm gonna call bullshit on that one, money can mean the difference between life or death for a loved one, money can take away the stress of living paycheck to paycheck... Worrying about car/electric/food/blah blah blah, money can mean not having to sit in one town for 50 years never seeing anything past where you live because you work to damn hard to keep your kids fed. I am an extremely content person, I could have few luxury's and be very happy, but I know for a fact that having some of the stress of everyday life(bills)taken care of would improve my demeanor... hah. Whoever said that money doesn't buy happiness needs to be punched right in the throat ;)
The Money Song, Monty Python
posted by Dave at 9:41 PM
13 Comments:
so true
sad but true
Tena koe ehoa
I think literally money can't buy idealised happiness. In reality it definitely has the ability to make us happy superficially through the acquisition of desires, wants and the need to provide much more easily. I tend to think the phrase is more a metaphoric expression than words to be taken literally. Do I agree... Yes I do, in the metaphoric expresson of the phrase.
I'd say that it would depend mostly on what defines your happiness. If you simply view happiness as the sum of your wealth and materialistic possesions, then yes, money buys happiness.
I'd argue though, that money is simply the means to an end, as to say, it allows for happiness. Happiness, being solely a selfish thing, increases with an increase of intrinsic value of self.
"Death of a loved one" scenario installs grievance with a personality, no doubt, but it also a lesson learned, one, which unfortunately, we need to build some character, which increases the intrinsic value of self. So, in my opinion, money, is the soft spot of our personal development.
To me, money doesn't equal happiness. To me, money is more like an easy way out. Want money? Get a job and make sure you pay your bills on time due to the job, it won't be the money that makes you happy, but the feeling you get from earning that money and being able to pay the bills.
I just started my new job today, and for the first time in 4 years, not having to worry about how the hell I'm gonna pay my bills... It feels absolutely great, even though I haven't seen a penny of it yet.
So it doesn't so much make you happy, but it takes away a lot of stress, thus enables you to be happy. If you will succeed in becoming happy after that does not depend on whether you have money or not.
But I have to agree with Kai, I'm happy to be providing for myself, rather than, for instance, living off of someone else's paycheck. (But I'm to proud to even consider that) If the money would just be put on my account every month, and I'd have to do absolutely nothing for it, I wouldn't recognize the actual value of it, and it would not satisfy me. I guess that doesn't go for everyone though...
Money HELPS.
and I love your Monty Python song.
Can anyone on blogger add those little music castposts or do you have to be a computer whiz to do it?
Kai, I know whoever originally said that, meant it as having wealth cannot be the only thing that makes you happy, and I am taking it very literally, but it can in fact make life easier and in turn make life happier. If i was sitting on a beach somewhere in the virgin islands soaking up the sun it would be because of money and I would be happy. I'm not saying one has to be super wealthy and buy things to make them feel better I'm talkin about a comfort zone.
And about loved ones dying being a life lesson, I'm not talking about things that can't be helped, I'm talking about people not being able to get their loved ones to the proper medical care because they don't have insurance or half of the money down for an operation.. ..specialist's cost big in the states and without money they could care less why you hurt.
Skavenger, I never said providing for yourself wouldn't make you feel better, that's great! but you are providing for yourself with money whether it was given to you or earned ;)
I'm not saying that if you feel bad that money can fix all your problems and let me stress once again I'm not a greedy person, I'm not talking about driving to work in a brand new hummer while wearing diamond cuff links and all gold teeth I'm talking about how a little extra could bring a ton of smiles to my face, and buy me a stack of happiness.
ndiginiz, yeah I know I was taking it literally, but even then, I still don't mean aquiring "things". I'm talking about peace of mind :)
Would anyone say no to a million dollars with no attatchments?
lisa, posting that music is easy as pie, just go to castpost.com and sign up for an account everything else just explains itself. :)
It does not make happy, it makes content. It wouldn't have to be because of money, there are other methods of survival to obtain a certain luxury. You are indeed talking about a comfort zone, comfort equals contentment, not happiness.
This makes no difference, except for the fact that it's not exactely "fair". The "lesson" is what remains after any grieving event, as I stated, the bad more often than the good, is a builder of character, it's best to just deal with what you can't do, which gives you a better grasp of what you can do, which increases the intrinsic value of self, which increases happiness.
Aside from that, I believe there is no such thing as happiness. To actualize oneself to the full potential must mean that there is total independence, this is however not the case. So there will also be a certain threshold of the intrinsic value of self, the only thing we can be, is content.
I see what you mean... I think that, overall, if someone is an unhappy person, money won't change it. The richest of the rich will tell you that. In your case, you are already a happy person in some sort of way. Money would enhance your life, and would bring happiness for sure.
But those who are just plain miserable... money will not buy true happiness.
I agree with crallspace. Very true. I do agree with you, Dave, in that money does give you a certain amount of happiness. It's ridiculous to apply that proverb to any situation like many people do--money will buy a LOT more 'happiness' for starving, poverty-stricken people in Africa. But the thing about money that scares me is that it's so addictive. Once you've got some, you always think you need more. When does it stop? It can't stop, because there are always more things you 'need' and more money to make. I don't think this is exactly a recipe for happiness.
Dan, I think you hit that one on the nail.
Elle, you are right.. money is the most addictive drug on the market. People are up when they have it and down when they don't, they'll do anything and anyone to get ahold of it and throw it away when they get it.
Dave, thanks for the castpost info! works great.
Np at all :)
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