What price happiness?

[230TE]

Since I saw this for sale:

http://www.brown-co.com/full-details?profileID=100...

Nothing less than £20m will do.

Failing that, and given my financial state, I'll settle for £500.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Just to add, if you tick any box except the £0 box then the vote you are actually making is "I could not be happy without money/wealth".

It's a bit like the question, "would you sleep with me for £1m?". If a woman answers "yes" then she's a hooker and all you are doing is negotiating the price!

[ewenm]

Ozzie Osmond said:

ewenm said:

I don't measure happiness through "things". I measure it through having time to do what I enjoy, so for me it's less about money and more about balance in my life. I guess I'm fortunate that I enjoy cheap activities (walking/running in the great outdoors, going to the playground with my daughter etc).

I guess you'll have to join me in the £0 section then. Although it's nice to have a bit of cash....

Yep, I ticked £0 as I cannot relate cash to happiness. Enough to pay off the mortgage would give me more choice in life but not necessarily make me happier.

[Digga]

I can't really get into this. Any substantial amount of money brigns responsibility - worry - and unsubstantial amounts (subjective measure of course) will only bring limited security and pleasure.

[turbobloke]

Ozzie Osmond said:

Just to add, if you tick any box except the £0 box then the vote you are actually making is "I could not be happy without money/wealth".

Not as the OP was phrased, the cash at bank question was posed in terms of giving a boost to happiness, with no implication that there was no happiness to begin with.

ewenm said:

Yep, I ticked £0 as I cannot relate cash to happiness. Enough to pay off the mortgage would give me more choice in life but not necessarily make me happier.

Digga said:

I can't really get into this. Any substantial amount of money brigns responsibility - worry - and unsubstantial amounts (subjective measure of course) will only bring limited security and pleasure.

Fine, though I would add that acknowledgement of alternative sources of happiness was covered off in the OP, and feeling worry or responsibility is part of where some people will draw the line. Checking the £0 option is after all an option.

[Digga]

I'll re-phrase; I wouldn't want much cash 'at the bank'. If I had cash I'd either want it working for me, or otyherwise to spend it one something of use.

[turbobloke]

Digga said:

I'll re-phrase; I wouldn't want much cash 'at the bank'. If I had cash I'd either want it working for me, or otyherwise to spend it one something of use.

Sure, understood, but once it appears there you could do what you like with it!

[turbobloke]

Guam said:

SHOW ME THE MONEY

[Jasandjules]

2m would be enough for me. Buy larger plot (I would like 5 acres minimum) and be mortgage free with a DB9 Volante and F430 Spider. Then a bit in the bank for day to day stuff.

[Megaflow]

Sticking to the 'nothing else changes' rule to the letter, I'd be happy with £500k. A smugde under £100k would clear the balance of the mortgage and leave some left, in reality, £250k would probably suffice, but there isn't a poll option for that.

I firmly believe if you suddenly gained £100m it would lead to as many problems as it solves.

Edited by Megaflow on Friday 21st September 13:21

[King Herald]

It just shows that unhappy people have the least money. If they were happier they'd have saved more, or earned more. Most people think it is the other way round, but they're wrong.

You need to make people happier, and the money just comes along of it own accord.

[turbobloke]

King Herald said:

It just shows that unhappy people have the least money. If they were happier they'd have saved more, or earned more. Most people think it is the other way round, but they're wrong.

You need to make people happier, and the money just comes along of it own accord.

Wow

I think ISWYM but if taken literally, world poverty could be eradicated almost overnight and Polly Toynbee could well be out of a job.

As such, a pinch of salt with that please.

[dandarez]

Money doesn't make me happy.

What I can buy with it does!

[Digga]

turbobloke said:

King Herald said:

It just shows that unhappy people have the least money. If they were happier they'd have saved more, or earned more. Most people think it is the other way round, but they're wrong.

You need to make people happier, and the money just comes along of it own accord.

Wow

I think ISWYM but if taken literally, world poverty could be eradicated almost overnight and Polly Toynbee could well be out of a job.

As such, a pinch of salt with that please.

In some sense it's a very valid proposition. Certainly binge eating and shopping are not only likely to result in a lighter wallet but are addictions that themselves are symptoms of deeper issues.

[martin84]

pointless article said:

The £2 million state research project yesterday revealed that, somewhat unsurprisingly, those who have more money are a lot happier with their lives."[/i]

No fking st sherlock!

[rudecherub]

bp1 said:

£100 million, why settle for anything less than filthy rich?

Well 100 million is the baseline requirement to be an old fashioned millionaire, since the value of the pound since 1900 has fallen a 100 fold.

Filthy rich is 1000's of millions and your own private 747. “There are around 39 Boeing 747’s with interiors configured for V.I.P. use in the world, and many 757’s and 767’s, an MD-11, and two 777’s,” said Aaga Duenhaupt, a manager for Lufthansa Technik"

[turbobloke]

Digga said:

turbobloke said:

King Herald said:

It just shows that unhappy people have the least money. If they were happier they'd have saved more, or earned more. Most people think it is the other way round, but they're wrong.

You need to make people happier, and the money just comes along of it own accord.

Wow

I think ISWYM but if taken literally, world poverty could be eradicated almost overnight and Polly Toynbee could well be out of a job.

As such, a pinch of salt with that please.

In some sense it's a very valid proposition. Certainly binge eating and shopping are not only likely to result in a lighter wallet but are addictions that themselves are symptoms of deeper issues.

Being happier influences the probability of positive actions, that's reasonable, but these need not necessarily need to money coming along 'of its own accord'. More often than not the default direction is neutral at best.

Meawhile, while we're on a diversion, in terms of the USA (and income not cash) it's claimed that above $75k of income any happiness factor increase isn't significant.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/18/how-much-...

[turbobloke]

martin84 said:

pointless article said:

The £2 million state research project yesterday revealed that, somewhat unsurprisingly, those who have more money are a lot happier with their lives."[/i]

No fking st sherlock!

Indeed, but surely it was the survey which was rather pointless? You shot the messenger.

[martin84]

An article about a pointless survey therefore becomes pointless itself.

[turbobloke]

martin84 said:

An article about a pointless survey therefore becomes pointless itself.

We disagree, such is life.

CMD's move to get and pay for the survey with public money was arguably pointless, beyond that it's then helpful to know what the PM is wasting money on - and to know it was wasted, we also need to know the result and realise it was obvious...as you say, it was a NSS outcome.