Does money bring happiness?

A lot of research suggests that it does not.

As much as I would like to agree, I cannot help but wonder why they would not be happy.

What do you guys think?

 

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No it doesn't.
You can be poor and happy or poor and miserable.
You can be rich and happy or rich and miserable.

It can make life a little easier, but the miserable poor who think money will make them happy will likely never be happy - because the tie their happiness to material posessions.

 

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Lack of money doesn't make anyone happy.
1111

 

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NO. Money does, however, buy freedom. Only when you are free can you be happy. Freedom can come from anywhere, and even the impoverished can be free, but financial freedom is extraordinarily important in our world. That said, even when we are financially free, we may not end up happy. At that point, it's up to the individual.

~String

 

The only financial freedom is complete lack of money.

 

I would say that, that's a matter of perspective. Freedom can come from anywhere. Mendicant monks in India, Buddhist monks of Tibet or Catholic nuns of Italy who eschew physical possessions in order to gain spiritual freedom are certainly free. Money can definitely be a trap, but that doesn't mean that a person cannot find freedom with money. Conversely, if a person is NOT financially free, it is very difficult to be happy.

~String

 

I can agree that money makes life in this modern world easier, but what I take issue with is the whole notion of "financial freedom".
To call having lots of money "financial freedom" is a contradiction.

To get money you have to work.
To keep your material posessions safe and functional, you need to spend more money.
To be able to afford the things associated with "financial freedom" you need money.

Financial freedom, would be freedom from financial concerns, correct?
Is anyone with money ever free from financial concerns?
What if I lose my job?
What if I lose my investments?
What if the dollar tanks?
What if someone steals my car? Robs my house?

Financial freedom is freedom from money.

 

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose.

 

Is that all Bobby left you?

 

You had better give me a few million and then I can decide for myself!

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Rich people are happier than the destitute, but money doesn't make much of a difference in general.

What determines how happy you are is your genetics.

 

No one's ever completely "free." But his point is that some are freer than others, and it's better to be freer.

 

But wouldn't more money make you worry more about losing it? So how would more money make you free when freedom is all in your mind anyway. If you think you are happy , then you are, if you think you are free, you are. :itold:

 

Nothing in this world makes everyone who has it happy. Freedom, money, love, power, sex etc. can bring misery as well as joy. On the other hand, there is a very strong chance that winning a few million will bring a smile to your face.

 

Money brings survival, comfort, pleasure.

"Money doesnt bring happiness...but it can buy you a nice yacht to pull up right beside it". -David lee Roth.

 

Money can't buy happiness but neither does lack of it. Money can (seem to) change a person but so can loss of money. Someone with money worries about losing it, someone without much worries about surviving. Some people don't have the maturity, etc to handle much money, some people don't have the maturity, etc to handle lack of money.
Anyone lower class or lower middle class who wouldn't be happier with more money is probably mentally ill.
In a capitalist society, enough money is necessary for survival, security & many aspects of happiness & freedom.

If money doesn't buy happiness, why do the rich keep it?
1111

 

No it does not. It will bring happiness for a while, but when that wears off, you're still miserable. I know from experience. I have a lot of money and it hasn't brought me happiness.

 

Because they are greedy and don't understand what it is like to be poor.

 

Maybe because they are not happy at any financial state and its about the person itself?

Enlighten me. Maybe its not money that makes you happy but something else that you do not have? (just a guess)

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The reason why I started this thread is because I have been exposed to all sorts of people in my life... by that I mean, I have had very rich friends and very poor friends from different countries and nationalities. One thing I have noticed was that typically wealthier people were more relaxed, comfortable and generally more positive towards their lives. Poor people on the other hand, did focus a lot of their problems on money, and seemed to have a less "positive" outtake on life. However I do think that the less fortunate ones in some ways were more interesting and appreciative of things around them.

Another thing I could add is that I once met this guy who was the son of some rich some company owner. Being the type of guy who was born swimming in money, he told me he does not enjoy it all that much... in fact, he said nothing has value to him, he feels as if everything is useless and nothing makes him happy.

I guess I could relate to him in some ways because in my life there were many things given that I never appreciated until they were gone, a simple example would be when I moved out for a couple of months and my mom wasn't there to make dinner.

Lets stay away from money for example and maybe look at love instead.

Someone who has never had a girlfriend will probably appreciate women much more in general and will be much happier when he finds someone than some player who sleeps with a different girl every other night.

Another personal example could be that when I was a kid, I really enjoyed this chocolate egg shaped candy. It tasted great and my dad would get it for me every time I behaved well and stuff. I used to live in France back then and I didn't really see those egg shaped chocolates for years until I suddenly stumbled into some at a store by my house a couple of weeks ago. Obviously I got excited and bought one, it tasted great, but now being older and able to buy tons of them anytime I want, I realized I don't want them anymore.

I have seen similar patterns like this within myself all over the place... I got a 300 dollar guitar, I have been thinking of getting a new more expensive one for the past few months.

I have a computer that cant handle the latest games... I need to upgrade it and enjoy the newer and better ones.

Any car I buy in the future to me instinctively has to be more expensive than the one I currently own.

Going through this I noticed a pattern... That for some reason all of my possessions need to be upgraded from time to time to keep my satisfied. Almost as if I reach a state of happiness when I get something new, get used to it, get bored of it, and keep wanting more... It looks like the cycle really never ends... and whats strikingly odd to me is just how much I relate those possessions to their financial value when looking into buying them.

I don't feel like I am very different everyone else. And as much as I could go ahead and claim this only relates to me I just intuitively know it does not.

By the way as a side note, I am generally a very happy person - but I do stress a lot over things I do not have, and things I want to get done... more than most people.

What do you all think? Can you guys relate?

 

Something I would like to add....

by poor friends I have had, I do not mean extremely poor to a point where they did not have shelter or food.

I guess I could see how it could be very difficult for people in extreme financial situations to ever find happiness.