Why Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness

Having money goes a long way in having happiness in your life. I don't care what anyone else says. With money you can choose where to live, where to go to school, where to dine, with whom you assoicate with, where to travel, what merchandise you can buy, what house you can buy, what doctors you can go to, what clothes you can buy, what sports you can afford to attend, what sports you can participate in, what country clubs you can afford, what lawyers you can hire, etc. etc. You can choose to live a solitary life, a married life, a world traveler with servants or you can spend the money to give to charity, helping others in need, helping social and church institutions. You can choose to be a philonthropist or a scrooge. You have more choices when you have more money than what you need to survive. You don't have to live a life of survival from day to day. You can live a life of surplus. Rich people who are unhappy are unhappy for psychological reasons, not because they have money. With money you can follow your dreams; any dream. Whether you choose to take a trip to outer space or start a company that would help others to follow their dreams. The possibilities are endless when you have money. Just compare an individual to a country. What countries have the best of everything? Well, the answer is obvious. It is country with money, wealth and power. Compare Haiti with the United States. Which country is better off? Why is it better off? The answer is obvious. It is because of money. Money talks. Money can bring you success, power, prestige, honor, fame, fortune, and enable you to have the best health care system for you and your family. Money not only pays the bills, it also pays for your needs, wants and desires (even sexual desires). So, even though money in and of itself cannot bring happiness, having the money can help you achieve happiness. It is better having it than not having it all.

Of course moeny does not buy happiness ! Duh...if it did would we have the Britney Spears and Paris Hilton sagas filling the tabloids every day ??? We need money to live and money buys things that can improve your living standards thus contributing to happiness ,but happiness in itself is not material so it can't be bought . It's a condition of mind and spirit that is created by things like family relationships ,romantic interests, friends , achieving goals , personal fulfillment , spirituality etc.. Money can't but these things , in fact sometimes too much money or the pursuit of it robs us of these things , distracts us from what is essentially important in life. The Masai people are basically happy because their life is simple , their needs are simple and they don't know or need anything else but the basics . Give them a lot of money , big houses , SUV's and fancy clothes and see if they will become "happier", a look at our own society tells us not.

I have never been able to decide if money makes me happy because I have never had enough of it to tell. It seems to me that it is always the people with money who tell you that it doesn't make them happy. Well from experience I can tell you that not having it doesn't make you any happier. From everything I've learned in 57 years of living, money was never intended to make you happy but give you enough free time to find your own happieness. I believe it would make me happy because I could have free time to do what would make me happy. In any case I would like to at least find out. I would like to not worry about health care, getting old and being homeless, eating on a regular basis and going any place I want to just because I can. Now if you don't believe money makes you happy and you have some, please donate to me. I will make sure I am happy.

Happiness is an individual determination for sure, but how does one finally determine what it is that will make them happy? Is it wealth, health, accomplishment? What akes our short span of time in this world worth experiencing? I have been to the Masaii village, and in the dung huts speken about in this story and will confirm that those I met truly were happy. I have also been to Jamaica with its beautiful beaches, and found very little happiness among its people.I submit that happiness is an internal state of being that is resistent to hte externals of "what we have" and "who we are."

I have to say that I grew up poor, then got a rich step parent. Then I went on my own and was poor, finished school got a job, got money and stuff and became middle class. I have been at about the same level of happiness throughout. There are studies that indicate we have a happiness thermostat and all though sudden changes in prosperity may cause that to go up or down for a while that we reset to our 'normal' level within a few months. I have seen that in mine and other's lives so I think it is a sound theory. There is probably a bell curve of set levels and that would explain a lot of what this article discusses. We all know the jolly poor person and the miserable rich person. Sadly that rich person would be just as unhappy poor.

While working for one of the country's top financial investment firms. I had the opportunity to come into contact with many extremely wealthy clients, and I can assure you that money does not bluy happiness. Money may "buy" flexibility, and one's choices are certainly wider, but trust me when I tell you that you the very rich have there share of problems too. Basically, you trade in one set of problems for another. The rich still have to deal with illness, sudden death, mental illness and a host of other issues that those of us who are not rich can only imagine. Someone once said that "anyone who thinks the rich don't have problems, has never been rich." Be careful what you wish for!!

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Of course money can't buy happiness. Ask Owen Wilson. But maybe it could rent some happiness. Only a rich person has the luxury of not having to worry about all the bills such as car payments, car insurance, car maintenance, health insurance and bills, the mortgage, the utilities, food, retirement funds, etc. Only the rich have the luxury of worrying about their happiness. Given a choice between the worry about my bills and the worry about my happiness, I'd gladly take the latter. At least I could be comfortable while I worry.

Of course money doesn't make a person happy. Ask Owen Wilson. But money can take the edge off life when you don't have to worry about medical bills or health insurance, the mortgage, car payments or car insurance or car maintenance, retirement funds, food, utilities, etc. Only people without the burden of such worries have the luxury of worrying about their happiness. Given a choice, I will take the latter.

It's definitely in how you decide to spend your money and figuring out your passion in life. Our money bought us much happiness in a sailboat. Unfortunately, all that sun, wind and toasting a glorious weekend with friends definitely cuts into your shopping time at the mall (i.e., we actually spend less). Although money got us here, we're definitely enjoying living simply and making memories (or at least for as long as summer lasts here in the Midwest).

"Money doesn't buy happiness" is a saying the rich put out there long ago to keep the rest of us from competing with them.

What to do with a lot of money.? I would support a number of charities I already support on my meager retirement income. I would travel Europe and Asia. Go back to college and get the degree in Archaeology I really wanted in the first place. Then fund a dig or two in France and Germany to find and excavate old Roman villa sites. Indulge myself in one of my favorite past-times giving surprise gifts to family and friends.

friends

I feel as though so-called economist and the media are spreading propaganda. I remember the time when employers gave a merit increase and a cost of living increase all in the same year. And nothing has changed other than the employers give measely merit raises and the cost of living raise is gone. It's not that the companies cannot afford to pay. Their profits are shooting out of the roof. It's just that they put Bush in office to do exactly what they are doing now. Nothing. And the American people have sat back silently and complained about it, but have done nothing to fight the dirty tactics of big business. Bush's economic plan was to increase the profitiabilty of big business at the sake of the middle class. The middle class is the only class being hurt since Clinton left office. Bush has not been fiscally sound. As a matter of fact, he never had a domestic agenda. So don't sit back and complain, Do Something. These companies that are sending these job overseas, stop buying from them. Go Green instead. After all, the food companies and the pharmaceutical companies control us like robots. The Food Administration allow imported, un-inspected food to come into our grocery store freely and without question. These preservatives and pesticides are changing our molecular make up and producing cancer. The doctors are in the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies and will prescribe 10 different medications if the consumer doesn't speak up. This ia BIG PROPAGANGA machine at work and we the American people can break their backs if we quit taking their words as gospel and investigate for ourselves. There is no excuse. The internet should be your research tool. Go Green, Eat Organic and seek homeopathic remedies put these bullies out of business.

Extreme wealth does not buy happiness it appears this article is saying. Well, maybe so, but I'd sure as hell like to give it a try!

Everything is higher, utilities, food, rent/mortgages, healthcare, gasoline. Our government seems clueless. It's as though the American Dream has become an American nightmare. The high cost of everything has created not only a housing bubble, but an economic bubble that is imploding the middle class.