Does money really buy happiness?
Discussion
Not having enough money will certainly make someone unhappy. When I refer to not enough, I mean not enough for a basic living standard, shelter, food etc.
What about being able to buy whatever you want, whenever you want?
What about financially secure or wealthy people? Those who can maintain a lifestyle for a significant period, years, not months, weeks or days without an income?
When does the average wealthy person stop living beyond their means?
What about being able to buy whatever you want, whenever you want?
What about financially secure or wealthy people? Those who can maintain a lifestyle for a significant period, years, not months, weeks or days without an income?
When does the average wealthy person stop living beyond their means?
Mr Spoon said:
Not having enough money will certainly make someone unhappy. When I refer to not enough, I mean not enough for a basic living standard, shelter, food etc.
What about being able to buy whatever you want, whenever you want?
What about financially secure or wealthy people? Those who can maintain a lifestyle for a significant period, years, not months, weeks or days without an income?
When does the average wealthy person stop living beyond their means?
No. I think it can lead to a certain restlessness, not contentment.What about being able to buy whatever you want, whenever you want?
What about financially secure or wealthy people? Those who can maintain a lifestyle for a significant period, years, not months, weeks or days without an income?
When does the average wealthy person stop living beyond their means?
Yes it does. If you enjoy the freedom to do what you want where and whenever you wish. If you appreciate nice stuff and it makes you smile to surround yourself with it. If you appreciate fine food and fine wines. If your mind, freed up from the stress and clutter that worrying about money brings, can focus on creative and intellectual pursuits and enjoying friends and family. If you get happiness from helping people out and contributing to charity regularly. Yes, money is the driving force behind happiness.
You’d have to be a sad sort to have wealth and not find happiness. And for that sort, even if life is a s
t sandwich, the more bread you have the less st you have to taste.
You’d have to be a sad sort to have wealth and not find happiness. And for that sort, even if life is a s
t sandwich, the more bread you have the less st you have to taste.Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 14th May 09:32
Djtemeka said:
I’d rather cry in a Bentley than a corsa 
But would you rather be happy in a Corsa than cry in a Bentley?Money can also bring complications. Look at the number of threads we have on here analysing pension and investment strategies. If you have large amounts, some might feel or be pressured by obligations, or even guilt.
You could also fall into the Dan Bilzerian trap of becoming bored and numb because you have bought everything you ever wanted, and now there's nothing left for you to buy. You could argue he's just suffering from a lack of imagination though. He's probably also paranoid about whether people are hanging around with him just because he's rich. Do your friends like you for you, or for your money?
I think contentment is more important. 'Happiness' is unsustainable. And yes, more wealth can bring bigger problems.
Very few people can buy whatever they want - tycoons, oligarchs, Saudi royals - at that level everything is effectively free. If you want a personal jet airliner - just ask your fixer to order one. It's not a life I'd care for.
Very few people can buy whatever they want - tycoons, oligarchs, Saudi royals - at that level everything is effectively free. If you want a personal jet airliner - just ask your fixer to order one. It's not a life I'd care for.
Hang On said:
Yes it does. If you enjoy the freedom to do what you want where and whenever you wish. If you appreciate nice stuff and it makes you smile to surround yourself with it. If you appreciate fine food and fine wines. If your mind, freed up from the stress and clutter that worrying about money brings, can focus on creative and intellectual pursuits and enjoying friends and family. If you get happiness from helping people out and contributing to charity regularly. Yes, money is the driving force behind happiness.
You’d have to be a sad sort to have wealth and not find happiness. And for that sort, even if life is a st sandwich, the more bread you have the less st you have to taste.
But for me this can be achieved with a decent level of wealth (being "well off" in old terms). Potentially a couple of magnitudes different to genuine FU money which comes with very different challenges.You’d have to be a sad sort to have wealth and not find happiness. And for that sort, even if life is a s
t sandwich, the more bread you have the less st you have to taste.Edited by Hang On on Saturday 14th May 09:32
Hang On said:
Yes it does. If you enjoy the freedom to do what you want where and whenever you wish. If you appreciate nice stuff and it makes you smile to surround yourself with it. If you appreciate fine food and fine wines. If your mind, freed up from the stress and clutter that worrying about money brings, can focus on creative and intellectual pursuits and enjoying friends and family. If you get happiness from helping people out and contributing to charity regularly. Yes, money is the driving force behind happiness.
You’d have to be a sad sort to have wealth and not find happiness. And for that sort, even if life is a st sandwich, the more bread you have the less st you have to taste.
There’s a lot of ‘ifs’ in your post, so it really should have opened with You’d have to be a sad sort to have wealth and not find happiness. And for that sort, even if life is a s
t sandwich, the more bread you have the less st you have to taste.Edited by Hang On on Saturday 14th May 09:32
“Yes it can” rather than “Yes it does”
Your last paragraph speaks volumes too. Some rich people are “sad sorts” ergo, for them, money cannot buy happiness.
Muzzer79 said:
Your last paragraph speaks volumes too. Some rich people are “sad sorts” ergo, for them, money cannot buy happiness.
And by contrast some of the happiest people I know have very little money. But they have lots of friends and are just basically nice people. The only embuggerance is that when they invite you to a party you have to take your own food and drink because they can't afford to cater for 20 people.Gassing Station | Finance | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff