What is the answer to wanting stuff?

[RizzoTheRat]

el stovey said:

it's not really. Your base level of happiness is a mainly genetic level of happiness that you return to (after a short period) after good or bad things happen to you. It's why people in Africa are actually as, or often more happy (if they have basic needs like food or shelter met) as people in America or Western Europe.

Interestingly a lot of countries which come highest in happiness surveys tend to be ones with high tax rates and a smaller gap between rich and poor. They might not all be rolling in it, but they don't see anyone else massively better off than they so feel that the system is fair and they're happier about it.

Timmy40 said:

CuckooInMyNest said:

What is the answer to wanting stuff you can't have?

Simple. Rent it by the hour.

Sadly Christina Hendricks isn't that sort of girl

[Timmy40]

RizzoTheRat said:

Interestingly a lot of countries which come highest in happiness surveys tend to be ones with high tax rates and a smaller gap between rich and poor. They might not all be rolling in it, but they don't see anyone else massively better off than they so feel that the system is fair and they're happier about it.

Thing is I suspect, rather like GDP, these happiness measures are actually pretty crap and easily manipulated. I've been to a few of these countries where everyone is apparently deliriously happy and haven't noticed that they are, in fact most young people I met seemed intent on escaping to London/the UK.

[RobinBanks]

Isn't it always claimed that Scandinavians are the happiest?
The Norwegians and Danes I know seem pretty happy with their lot, but the Swedes I know are miserable bds.

[Davey S2]

prand said:

Have you had kids yet?

I found that after having my two, I now "want" nothing more spohisticated or expensive than a few pints down the pub on a friday night and decent lie-in with a cuppa in bed the next morning.

8 cylinder cars, powerboats, and 4 figure swiss watches have miraculously disappeared off my want list!

Getting the same for me.

I'd still like another fun car for the weekend (f**k knows why as I have no spare time to drive one ), new golf clubs etc but the level of want has got lower and lower to the point now where it's just not important.

[youngsyr]

RizzoTheRat said:

Timmy40 said:

CuckooInMyNest said:

What is the answer to wanting stuff you can't have?

Simple. Rent it by the hour.

Sadly Christina Hendricks isn't that sort of girl

I suspect she is, you just haven't offered her enough.