What is the psychological rationalization that money does not buy happiness when

1. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 10 years ago

   What is the psychological rationalization that money does not buy happiness when all around
   
   it is quite evident that having socioeconomic wealth means an overall better quality of life for all concerned? What is the logic behind some socioeconomically poor people indicating that they are "happy" when in fact, they are socioeconomically sinking & surviving, not succeeding & thriving?  What makes people HATE the attainment of socioeconomic wealth so much?
   
   

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2. 77

   Chris Nealposted 10 years ago

   It would be both interesting and incredibly instructive to see your sourcing for where you get that people (implying the vast, overwhelming majority of human beings) really really HATE the attainment of 'socioeconomic wealth' (and a clearer definition would certainly be better. Since 'economic wealth' would be, you know, money/things, I'm assuming you mean status and access by the 'socio' part but am I right?) I don't see that. It is demonstrably true that having vast wealth is not an automatic barometer of happiness, there have been too many people who have been miserable or even met tragedy because of their wealth. A certain amount of wealth does ease the burdens of life, that's true, but that also does not necessarily correlate to emotional happiness or satisfaction with life. But where you get that 'people' HATE the 'attainment of socioeconomic wealth' when so much of culture is gained toward the acquisition of that very commodity, I'm just not sure.

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      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Chris, thank you for your response.  In many societies, it is good to be successful but not TOO successful.  There is a negative connotation in many people's purview re: the overly ambitious, successful & wealthy. They are viewed by many as greed

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      helenstuartposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I get what you are saying, and I have to address one part of your question separately. Poor people CAN be happier. They aren't all "sinking" but there are many "socioeconomically poor" people who have a much greater grasp of other riches.

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   Ian Mooneposted 10 years ago

   It's a fact that the less money & "stuff" a person has in their lives the more enlightened that person can/will become, if & when they realise that they didn't ever need all that money or "stuff"..Also in my opinion the more comfortable my life becomes the less i can relate to or empathise with the common man, because the common man around the world is poor & starving..So I've studied a lot in my time & I've studied celebrities, & I asked myself why do so many of them top themselves or end up drug addicts etc..It's because the thrill of having all that money wears off, & it wears of pretty fast compared to having hobbies passions interests & loves..The poorest man in the world can rest assured that his Mrs really loves him, & that every friend he has are his real friends..Can Beckham for example ever know what the poor man knows?, so the poor man is more enlightened than Beckham can ever be..Give the richest 2 kids in the world whatever they want, & pretty soon they will want more..Give the poorest 2 kids in the world a ball or 2 sticks & some woods & fields to play in, & off they'l go using their imaginations playing  etc for as long as they can..So the 2 poorest kids are more enlightened than the richest 2 kids will ever be, because their literally forced to use their imaginations..People are free to disagree with what i say, but it is all based on logic & is true..I wouldn't say that the poor people are happy, no I'd say that a lot of them are content, which is far greater than any amount of money/happiness can ever possibly buy..Honestly wealthy people disgust me because they don't care about the person who has nothing, which to me suggests they have no heart or feelings which is almost every celebrity on the planet. :-)

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   speer138posted 10 years ago

   i think the point of the saying, is that you can be unhappy and have problems no matter how much much you have. no so much that its better to not have money.

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   lisavollrathposted 10 years ago

   I used to have a job at a large corporation, where I was frankly WAY overpaid. I loathed my job, and was pretty miserable.
   
   I took a 50% pay cut to quit working for other people, and go into business for myself. For the past 10 years, I've lived pretty much hand to mouth, eliminating all the luxuries, and just generally cutting back on everything, including my expectations. I'm not below the poverty line, but I'm not too far above it. I'm very happy with what I do for a living now, even though it doesn't pay well.
   
   Quality of life has very little to do with money for me. It has everything to do with being happy with my work, and my life. All the rest is just stuff.

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      gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      GREAT answer but you weren't overpaid.  You had the education, acute intelligence & work experience & you were aptly compensated for this in the corporate world.

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      lisavollrathposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No, trust me. I was overpaid. And while overpaid makes it much easier to navigate than underpaid, with income declining rather than regularly increased for no reason, I'm still happier now than I was then.

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      Rodric29posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You are happier because you feel like you are contributing. You are a creator by nature, divine nature. Therefore, when you create or control you feel your divine self shining forth IMHO. Even people who hook(er) can get that feeling strangely.

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   Useless itchposted 9 years ago

   Although happiness may feel the same for different people, it is possible that the avenue to get there is not the same. No, you cannot buy happiness! I can feel some heads burning now. Yes, you can buy "things" that bring you happiness. The beauty of it all is that happiness transcends any socioeconomic "label" or "level"! Therefore we all atleast have the opportunity to FIND happiness in our lives!

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