How do you convince someone

For quite sometime i believed (and mostly still do) that large amounts of money will not create a happy satisfied individual. I never had intentions to strive towards making griploads of cash, perhaps just enough to live comfortably for myself, and a little extra walking around money would be nice, i imagine around 30 grand a year would be enough for me. But this guy i work with, about my age, has completely different view, he wants and plans to make 400 grand a year and pulled a concerned face when i told him i'd be lucky to ever make more than 60k a year. He is very convinced that the lavish life is one of little discontentment. i tried bringing up the myriad time honored tales of men/women who go from rags to riches or visa versa, but caught myself questioning the impact these yarns have on contemporary (capitalist) culture where money is a ley line through space and time. Indeed i then struggled to think of those who struggle with money as a burden, or figures who'd just rather be left with less than more when given the choice.

So basically i've come to question the idea that money is not equivalent with a basic level of happiness. There are two kinds of people those that lust for money and those that don't, how, in this day and age, can you convince someone that the pursuit of getting mo money is frivolous at best when attempting to find peace and happiness in life?

Cite any celebrity who has ever committed suicide.

Money definitely makes certain aspects of life easier, and in the right hands it can do a lot of good and be a lot of fun, but I do not think copious amounts are necessary for happiness. It's a double edged sword, people see it as the only way to achieve their core needs(for example to find love, gain respect from others, to make a difference and feel important) but it usually doesn't work that way. Becoming rich in this way is an indirect approach to living a happy and comfortable life. You don't have to have money to be famous, to find love, peace or happiness, to make a difference, to live in comfort. Money can actually have the opposite effect, it usually comes with greater amounts of stress and responsibility and many people tend to forget about the real things that make them happy. My opinion of course.

I'm caught in the middle... I know buying things will not equate to a lifetime of happiness, but I do believe in the cliche that you only live once and I would like to experience as much as I can in this lifetime and experiencing does cost. I'm not into the $100,000 car, or the rich man status quo... I just enjoy my toys, but I don't NEED them. I think the perfect income for me would be $100,000 a year, but would I work 80 hour weeks to get that? Fuck no. 40 hour weeks, weekends off, 2-4 week vacation a year @ $100,000 and I'm set. I'm about 1/2 way there right now.

  On 9/23/2010 at 7:27 AM, Gbiscuit said:

Cite any celebrity who has ever committed suicide.

But then what about the vast majority of celebrities that havent committed suicide or did so because of mental illness? It certainly seems like most people that have earned above average lead higher quality lives. Bitter rich are usually bitter because they're so used to being so rich that it's their only frame of reference, they've always had "more money than god" so they cant make any financial leaps that will gain them a significantly higher quality of life.

i make a few bucks here and there

  On 9/23/2010 at 7:47 AM, happycase said:

i make a few bucks here and there

and couldnt wouldnt shouldnt you be happier if you make more?

Well, money didn't buy happiness for the people who offed themselves. Everyone has problems, money can either compound or alleviate them to some extent.

Whether money brings happiness is irrelevant. Happiness is a state of mind and wholly dependant on what criteria you have for being happy. At least money brings safety, security and some freedoms.

The problem with money is that it only benefits the person who has it. The total effect of money as a system is that the vast majority is left with not enough money, and are unhappy and insecure.

I think a lack of money brings more unhappiness than surplus of money brings happiness.

It's a dog-eat-dog system that has no place in modern society. We are all one people and should look after eachother.

one's happiness depends on what one knows - what one realizes within ones self about what is really going on and what true happiness is.

if we have not found a certain perspective, certain knowledge to fill ourselves up, then we search for things to fill ourselves up, to

fill the void, to fill our emptiness. basically, the truth is you can buy a certain amount of temporal happiness, but it is superficial

and momentary when one see's through space and time into eternity and it will consume alot of ones energy that could be devoted

instead to finding the truth. when we find the truth (and we wont unless we search for it), then all that is in this world, all it's

madness comes into true perspective and we can set our hearts on our true goal - true wealth which is an investment that

will stand firm in forever. true wellbeing is given only in exchange for the truth which we face, for the processing we

are willing to do - this is the only true currency, to heal and completely get to the other side of issues we may be

struggling with. we must do this work in order to be truly happy - for ourselves and for the others around us.

true happiness is a gift we can give as well as receive. we must help provide it for each other.

money is the root of all evil - money's distract us and keep us locked down to temporal existence.

they consumes us, we become slaves to the pursuit of them (more or less) instead of the

pursuit of those thing which truly are important.

worst of all - money makes decisions for us - it is the perpetuator of

falseness - the carrot on the stick of darkness in this fallen world.

its not that hard, destroy their serotonin receptors, then give them a million dollars. bet it wont help!

Studies have shown that people with 1 million dollars report being happier than others. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

(can't be arsed to find the study, which is admittedly open to argument...but I buy it. Life is a lot easier when you have money to grease the wheels)

  On 9/23/2010 at 1:45 PM, lumpenprol said:

Studies have shown that people with 1 million dollars report being happier than others. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

 

 

(can't be arsed to find the study, which is admittedly open to argument...but I buy it. Life is a lot easier when you have money to grease the wheels)

actually, you posting this made me recall a recent study:

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2010/09/07/the-perfect-salary-for-happiness-75000-a-year/

75k a year buys happiness, apparently!

If i had more money id be pretty happy. Although Im pretty happy now.

Having a purpose is more important than making money I think, so if someone believes that what they're doing is good and for a reason, they'll probably feel the same happy no matter how much money they have. That's why most unemployed people don't seem really happy I think, or rich people who retire, because yeah you don't have to work for your money, but work is what makes you feel good in most cases.

here's an interesting thought. did the money bring the happiness or did the happiness bring the money?

  On 9/23/2010 at 2:09 PM, Tamas said:

Having a purpose is more important than making money

  On 9/23/2010 at 2:11 PM, chimera slot mom said:

here's an interesting thought. did the money bring the happiness or did the happiness bring the money?

Happiness Brings Success, Not the Other Way Around

i currently make close to shit-all and the main difference that having a bunch of money would make is

1) i can buy the toys i want, go to the places i want, go out whenever i want, and

2) i wouldn't spend my time worrying about money.

but i've been pretty close to skint for the majority of my adult life so far, and had probably equal numbers of massive highs and lows, and the rest of the time i've been generally ok. none of the highs or the lows have been to do with money and i can't imagine i'd have any more or fewer whether i made £100 or £1000000. maybe.

anybody who relies on money for their happiness is a shitty person or a social retard

i don't like money at all. i hate how it directly controls your life.

"the golden rule: he who has the gold makes the rules."

If i had money i would be a lot happier. <--- period

can't buy me loooooooooooooooo-ove!

According to the study cited in this article, 75K is the right amount for happiness.

what'xs the median/average wage in the us ?

  On 9/23/2010 at 1:31 PM, disparaissant said:

its not that hard, destroy their serotonin receptors, then give them a million dollars. bet it wont help!

lol