Money Can't Buy You Happiness ?

[PAB]

Money can buy you happiness.
Chaplin's Modern Times explores the life of two down trodden people. Their dream becomes the american dream, to get a house and settle down, to have food on the table without having to steal, to be left in peace from the law. This is what they aspire to, to become happy.
How do they go about to attain their dream, to attain a life which is better then what they have. Buy trying to get a job, to earn money.
Money , the universal commodity, becomes the medium for all the material needs which the poor couple require; food, clothing, shelter. Money isn't equatable to happiness. But money can buy you happiness. In the very basic sense that money can buy you the material necessities which will relieve misery and poverty. It is only for those who have the basic necessities and live comfortable lives with a stable good income where money doesn't factor.

A Greek pensioner's suicide outside parliament has quickly become a symbol of the pain of austerity and has been seized upon by opponents of the budget cuts imposed by Greece's international lenders.The 77-year-old retired pharmacist, Dimitris Christoulas, shot himself in the head on Wednesday after declaring that financial troubles pushed him over the edge. A suicide note said he preferred to die than scavenge for food.

An elderly man who took his life outside the Greek parliament in Athens , in apparent desperation over his debts, has highlighted the human cost of an economic crisis that has not only brought the country to the brink financially, but also seen suicides soar.

Police data show a 20% increase in suicide rates in the two years since the outbreak of Europe's debt crisis in Greece in late 2009, although the health ministry estimated the figure was almost double that in the first five months of 2011 compared to the first five months of 2010. Suicide hotlines have been deluged with appeals for help.

MODERN TIMES INDEED

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

People are complex creatures, and being happy or not happy (once all your basic survival needs are met) can really be all in your head.

I suppose that's the point really, money can buy happiness if you're not (at the moment) able to meet your basic financial needs for a proper living standard.
But once you'd achieved all of that then happiness comes down to..... who the heck knows?

I think the person who coined the phrased "money can't buy happiness" was assuming a standard of living already being met.

Also the definition of happy is also vague and subjective.
I'm fairly happy?/content at the moment sitting here in front of my computer @ 7am drinking my coffee. But, I would be absolutely ecstatic if someone showed up with a deed to the property I've had my eye on or that yellow camaro I've been lusting after.
I usually aim for and call myself content and manage to achieve that most often, and I'm cool with that

 

[Anachronous Rex]

Money may not be able to buy happiness, but poverty inhibits it.

 

[Inferno]

This topic reminds me... in grade school, I was maybe 10 or 11, we got asked: Which would you choose, love or money? I wrote: "Money, cuz you can buy love."

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

This topic reminds me... in grade school, I was maybe 10 or 11, we got asked: Which would you choose, love or money? I wrote: "Money, cuz you can buy love."

Exactly and what is love anyhow? you can live without love, you unfortunately can't live without money

 

[Inferno]

This topic reminds me... in grade school, I was maybe 10 or 11, we got asked: Which would you choose, love or money? I wrote: "Money, cuz you can buy love."

Exactly and what is love anyhow? you can live without love, you unfortunately can't live without money

Uh, can you? Seriously, I was a ten year old brat who just wanted to swim against the stream. I knew that everybody would say "love" and I was right, everybody did. I of course would have chosen the same thing, if not for my inner rebel.

Now for "you can live without love". I'm not sure you can. You certainly can't as a kid, kids need love in order to stay "normal".
And even as an adult I'd suggest that we need a certain amount of love, otherwise we'll probably get depressed...

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

[

Uh, can you? Seriously, I was a ten year old brat who just wanted to swim against the stream. I knew that everybody would say "love" and I was right, everybody did. I of course would have chosen the same thing, if not for my inner rebel.

Now for "you can live without love". I'm not sure you can. You certainly can't as a kid, kids need love in order to stay "normal".
And even as an adult I'd suggest that we need a certain amount of love, otherwise we'll probably get depressed...

I suppose it would have to go to the definition of love.
A person can live in a loveless marriage for decades. A person can also grow up in a household where their parents or foster parents don't actually love them. (absence of love doesn't mean absence of human contact or even friendship)

The studies they did with those infant monkey's years ago ( was it Harlow?) it was a maternal-separation and social isolation experiments on monkeys.
as he figured that monkey's were similar enough to humans to run a fairly accurate experiment on this. Anyhow with out touch the infant monkey's basically slipped into a depression and died.... the one's who were touched did fine.........Love had nothing to do with it.
Actually let me consult google and see if I can find that, it was fairly interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Harlow
Ok so my point is, we definitely need interaction but what about that word LOVE?

 

[ImprobableJoe]

I think that not worrying about money is where money can "buy you happiness." If you have enough money to buy all the things you need and enough of the things you want, then money makes you happy. On the other hand, if you're one of those sick hoarding sociopaths in the financial industry, or many millionaires/billionaires who hurt people to increase their fortune, you're still constantly worrying about money and no amount of it will ever satisfy you.

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

True ImprobableJoe,
I've actually thought about my post a little more and you can also technically live without money if you're willing to live way the fuck out there and wear deer hides for clothes, hunt your own food etc. I mean it is technically possible but you won't be able to live within society and do it.
Even the homeless street people here in my own town, gather bottles and can, panhandle what have you to support themselves, there is money involved.

 

[devilsadvocate]

I think it's part of human condition to both never truly feel satisfied about material well-being and also compare it to other's rather than rationally consider what is enough. That's where I think financial suffering comes from in most developed countries.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

I think it's part of human condition to both never truly feel satisfied about material well-being and also compare it to other's rather than rationally consider what is enough. That's where I think financial suffering comes from in most developed countries.

Well that's not financial suffering, that's being a whiny-ass titty baby. On the other hand, I know that the majority of American TV only shows rich people, even when they are pretending to show working class people. That goes double for commercials. When you disappear your working class, your majority, it completely skews everyone's perception of their place along the wealth spectrum. After all, those commercials for save big with Verizon and shop at Walmart are all set in the homes and neighborhoods of the wealthiest 5-10% of the population.

 

[devilsadvocate]

Well that's not financial suffering, that's being a whiny-ass titty baby.

Real suffering is the one you actually experience, be it you're having a tantrum or not.

 

[Nom_de_Plume]

People in general aren't content animals. even if all your physical and emotional needs are met people still want to "achieve" something. We need those woo hoo moments to actually feel alive.
for example video games - people want to strive to that next level, sometimes it's really hard and they'll work and work on it until they level up their character or get the magic stone or whatever the heck the achievement is in that game or level.
I know even in real life I'm forever finding windmills to tilt at even though all my monetary and happiness criteria are met already.
It's that pride in accomplishment thing (whether it's a virtual accomplishment or a real one)

 

[Laurens]

I think 'having money doesn't protect you from misery' makes more sense than 'money can't buy happiness' - it can, beer and weed make me happy.

 

[WarK]

In today's world, is happiness even possible without money?

 

[Laurens]

In today's world, is happiness even possible without money?

I think it is, bird watching, climbing trees and playing music are all cost-free - and they all make me happy...

I think the problem with the statement: 'money can't buy you happiness' is that it implies happiness is somehow always free, or never related to money - which is nonsense.

 

[WarK]

In today's world, is happiness even possible without money?

I think it is, bird watching, climbing trees and playing music are all cost-free - and they all make me happy...

I think the problem with the statement: 'money can't buy you happiness' is that it implies happiness is somehow always free, or never related to money - which is nonsense.

That's true. But I'd imagine it'd be hard to enjoy those things if you were hungry or your children were hungry.

 

[PAB]

In today's world, is happiness even possible without money?

I think it is, bird watching, climbing trees and playing music are all cost-free - and they all make me happy...

I think the problem with the statement: 'money can't buy you happiness' is that it implies happiness is somehow always free, or never related to money - which is nonsense.

I know where you are coming from. These things you list are activities many of us enjoy and make us happy. But they are not cost free not in reality. Although they are not commercial commodities to be purchased they have a cost. That cost is time , i.e they are free time. When you haven't ate and are facing death or regular poverty these things are either not an option or would be difficult to enjoy.

I recently watched an excellent documentary in the 1970's. There was a piece where they interviewed a rich white woman in kenya who stated the poor black Africans outside begging for money were happy in their conditions, its what they are used to, and are happy in their own particular ways. Which differed to hers as she was rich. At the same time she was saying this they cut the camera to the people outside trying to beg money to feed there hungry babies. No happy faces there.

 

[WarK]

​

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Speaking of which, can somebody send me money?