Does money make people happy

[ChristineES]

By money I don't mean the money necessary for survival in a developed country. By money I mean huge amount of money. More than 500 dollars\euros per week.

My question is: does owning lots of money make people happy?
By people I mean you, not the others

No, not really. I mean, I would be contented if I always had enough money to pay my bills every month and have enough to feed my family. But it wouldn't make me truly happy. Rich people can have everything in the world and still be miserable.

 

[YmirGF]

By money I don't mean the money necessary for survival in a developed country. By money I mean huge amount of money. More than 500 dollars\euros per week.

My question is: does owning lots of money make people happy?
By people I mean you, not the others

I'm already happy, so having more money wouldn't change me. I sort of blinked at the $500 per week thing. $2000 a month is not a lot these days - heck, that's only a measely $26,000 a year. Even teachers make over $70,000 a year here and they aren't that highly paid.

Then again, I'm used to the prices in Vancouver, Canada. Things are very expensive there, but people also make a fair amount too. It all works out.

Now if you are talking a million dollars a day, well... if I had scaled into that kind of income I'd be better adjusted to it. If it was just dumped on me, it would likely turn my world upside down trying to figure out what to do with all the money. A million dollars a day is pretty hard to spend. After awhile I'd probably be sending off donations to the "Save the Siberian Ginko Fund".


Couldn't vote in the poll with their weird options. Sorry.

 

[Willamena]

I don't think expensive things can make people happy. One can be happy with little, and with very cheap things

But they still cost money.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Well, rich people are not to admire. Given that they are the cause of inequality. Unfortunately money is not inexhaustible. Money is printed according to the amount of resources a nation can produce (GDP).
The issue is that the rich have the chances and the means to put their hands on this money before the others have the chance to earn it with their work

Yes, I know rich people aren't be admired. But I still wish I had their money. We should all rob them. Lmao. They're robbing everyone else, anyway.

On second thought, I'll just make a sex tape with some trashy celebrity since that's the only thing you need to do in order to become rich and famous in this world, ala Kim Kardashian.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Jesus taught me that you should use the wealth you have to make others happy, and that makes me happy when I do.

 

[YmirGF]

Jesus taught me that you should use the wealth you have to make others happy, and that makes me happy when I do.

You knew Jesus personally? Wow, I didn't realize you were that old.

I wonder what Jesus said about people playing on your benevolent nature, of using you, instead of making things for themselves?

 

[nash8]

By money I don't mean the money necessary for survival in a developed country. By money I mean huge amount of money. More than 500 dollars\euros per week.

My question is: does owning lots of money make people happy?
By people I mean you, not the others

It depends. Someone who works 80 hours a week in a high stress job making a 1 million dollar salary is going to be a lot less happy than someone working 20 hours a week making 100,000 a year. With that being said, given equal conditions other than money, I would think that people that have more money would be slightly more generally happier than those with less money.

There is a cutoff to this though, which I would put around 100K a year. After that I think things would start to level off. A large study said that things start to level off around 75,000 or so, but I think it would be a little higher than that.

How Much Money Do You Really Need To Be Happy? - Forbes

Happiness truly is a "state of mind" rather than what possessions you have, or how much money you have. What we call happiness, in my opinion, is simply how much and how often you release "feel good" brain chemicals such as serotonin, oxytocin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and many others. Granted you can sustain long releases of these chemicals through the use of money by buying experiences, vacations, etc., and even buying material possessions releases these brain chemicals.

However, the problem is that the "chemical release" during these actions using money diminishes very rapidly, so it is not sustainable. Thus the reason why you see people that are very rich, that are absolutely miserable even though they are taking vacations every other week, buying sports cars, and doing many other things on a regular basis that make us "happy".

The best scenario, in my opinion, is to create a happy state of mind without the need to constantly maintain through monetary means. Once you are able to do this, then you can proceed to purchase the material possession and buy the unique experiences, and you will enjoy them even more because your are already "happy" to begin with, so your essentially adding on to a firm foundation of happiness rather then building a rickety house of happiness using money. But you also have to be careful not to get caught up in all of the material things, and begin to rely on them.

Understanding LOVE

If you read the first section it presents an interesting view on happiness. Monks literally live in a state of constant happiness due to their attitude of love towards everyone, their detachment to the material world, and most importantly in my opinion, their meditational practices. So all you really need to be "happy" in my opinion is to have your basic needs of water, food, and shelter met, and also be well versed in meditational practices. The brain scans of monks, who literally have no money, show this to be true.

 

[ScuzManiac]

It depends. Someone who works 80 hours a week in a high stress job making a 1 million dollar salary is going to be a lot less happy than someone working 20 hours a week making 100,000 a year. With that being said, given equal conditions other than money, I would think that people that have more money would be slightly more generally happier than those with less money.

There is a cutoff to this though, which I would put around 100K a year. After that I think things would start to level off. A large study said that things start to level off around 75,000 or so, but I think it would be a little higher than that.

How Much Money Do You Really Need To Be Happy? - Forbes

Happiness truly is a "state of mind" rather than what possessions you have, or how much money you have. What we call happiness, in my opinion, is simply how much and how often you release "feel good" brain chemicals such as serotonin, oxytocin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and many others. Granted you can sustain long releases of these chemicals through the use of money by buying experiences, vacations, etc., and even buying material possessions releases these brain chemicals.

However, the problem is that the "chemical release" during these actions using money diminishes very rapidly, so it is not sustainable. Thus the reason why you see people that are very rich, that are absolutely miserable even though they are taking vacations every other week, buying sports cars, and doing many other things on a regular basis that make us "happy".

The best scenario, in my opinion, is to create a happy state of mind without the need to constantly maintain through monetary means. Once you are able to do this, then you can proceed to purchase the material possession and buy the unique experiences, and you will enjoy them even more because your are already "happy" to begin with, so your essentially adding on to a firm foundation of happiness rather then building a rickety house of happiness using money. But you also have to be careful not to get caught up in all of the material things, and begin to rely on them.

Understanding LOVE

If you read the first section it presents an interesting view on happiness. Monks literally live in a state of constant happiness due to their attitude of love towards everyone, their detachment to the material world, and most importantly in my opinion, their meditational practices. So all you really need to be "happy" in my opinion is to have your basic needs of water, food, and shelter met, and also be well versed in meditational practices. The brain scans of monks, who literally have no money, show this to be true.

So, we're comparing a musician to a dentist here?

 

[outhouse]

SADLY Money will get you all the love you will need.

Example

Poor person living homeless in the dirt, can easily find an ideal mate?

Rich person who owns his own mansion, can easily find an ideal mate?

That can develop into love.


Money does not make you a winner.

 

[Awkward Fingers]

Can money give you the body organs which you lost in any accident ? What if, one has a lot of money but not the body organs to enjoy it ?

Now fairly apply that to both sides of the issue.
Would you rather be missing organs, and suffering in squalor, or missing organs and able to pay for a nice hospital to stay in.

The comparison isn't just poor vs missing organs... And to attempt to do so is dishonest to the question.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Yes some money can make people happy. I would be ecstatic over 500 dollars a week, as that would be far more than I have ever made. I could buy my own food without government assistance, I could pay all my bills on time, and I could start saving. 1000 dollars a week would make certain life goals and needs far more accessible, and sinking myself into debt for college so I can hopefully have a better shot at a non-poverty job wouldn't be such an issue. But 5,000 a week I don't know if it would make that much of a difference, other than I know I would be able to easily help friends and family in need.

I don't think expensive things can make people happy. One can be happy with little, and with very cheap things

That really isn't the case. You can be happy with little, but very cheap things typically only cause a momentary reliefe and cost more in the long run. Used tires, for instance, can save alot of money, now, but five tires later end up costing more than one new tire. But the new tire may be very difficult to afford. Some furniture may be needed, but cheap furniture, such as from Big Lots (cheap priced/ultra-cheap quality American chain store), crumbles piece-by-piece and it isn't very long before furniture is needed again.

]Everybody criticizes the Orwell's Big Brother model. But unfortunately it is necessary. A Big Brother has to prevent the rich from becoming richer at cost of the lower classes' poverty

That's not the premises of 1984. Marxism would be a better model, one that people swear is evil and anti-American, but nevertheless it is a model that puts the interests of everyone but the greedy first.
I have worked jobs where those above delivered massive paycuts (with a few people having their pay cut by over 50%) just so they could keep their pay and pocket bonuses. The rich are already funneling more and more money to their pockets via business policy that damns the working class and by buying legislation that allows them to keep bigger chunks of their income that what middle class is allowed to keep. In other places though, such as some European countries like Germany, it's not called Big Brother but a progressive tax rate that has the wealthiest paying more. Which also means they don't have the amount of super wealthy like America has, but they don't have crumbling roads or bridges like America has either.

You didn't read my explanation below the poll. I didn't talk about extreme poverty. I talked about owning the money necessary for survival.
That is you live decently, but you don't save any money

If you are living decently, you have money to save. Many people though live pay check to pay check with no hopes of saving a dime in-between pay periods.

Guys, would you please vote too? Thank you.

Your options are too limited to vote. To an extent money makes people happy, but eventually you get to a point where more money does not add to your happiness.

Yes, I know rich people aren't be admired. But I still wish I had their money. We should all rob them. Lmao. They're robbing everyone else, anyway.

Ain't that the truth. Socialized risk and privatized profit is probably one the most damning business practices to the working, middle, lower and blue collar classes that America has ever seen. If I mismanage my money, I loose my house. A big shot banks mismanages their affairs, we the tax payers are expected to kiss their boo-boos and coddle them and assure them everything will be alright. Yet I know people who suffered at the hands of corporate mismanagement, but yet they had long, scary, and uncertain bouts trying to save their home.

On second thought, I'll just make a sex tape with some trashy celebrity since that's the only thing you need to do in order to become rich and famous in this world, ala Kim Kardashian.

LOL! My first thought of a sex tape was Bret Micheals and Pamela Anderson.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Jesus taught me that you should use the wealth you have to make others happy, and that makes me happy when I do.

This is not to be mistaken with socialism. I'd take Jesus's words to mean something like donations, charity. Not something as absurd as forcing money out of people's hands, for example, taxing the rich, or unequal taxes in general.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

You knew Jesus personally? Wow, I didn't realize you were that old.

I wonder what Jesus said about people playing on your benevolent nature, of using you, instead of making things for themselves?

People do not play on benevolent nature, they benefit from it. Unlike you I enjoy doing good like Jesus instead of parroting selfishness and greed of Ayn Rand.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

This is not to be mistaken with socialism. I'd take Jesus's words to mean something like donations, charity. Not something as absurd as forcing money out of people's hands, for example, taxing the rich, or unequal taxes in general.

Are you rich?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

This is not to be mistaken with socialism. I'd take Jesus's words to mean something like donations, charity. Not something as absurd as forcing money out of people's hands, for example, taxing the rich, or unequal taxes in general.

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. Mark 12:17. Jesus did indeed, at the minimum, support paying taxes. Of course he supported charity, but he also said a rich man cannot get into Heaven. I also have my doubts Jesus would support lowering tax rates for the rich when our country has so many who are poor and unable to afford food. He may support increasing their taxes because the tendency of the ultra wealthy to hoard and soak up even more money is one the greatest impediments to everyone but the ultra rich in living a financially stable life that isn't subjected to the whims of an executive who wants more money so he sends his workers to the unemployed and welfare lines.

 

[Phil25]

By money I don't mean the money necessary for survival in a developed country. By money I mean huge amount of money. More than 500 dollars\euros per week.

My question is: does owning lots of money make people happy?
By people I mean you, not the others

It depends. Just $500/week and no love, friends, etc., wont make me happy. But just love, friends etc and no money wont make me happy either. You need both. But BTW, if someone offers $500/week to me, I wouldnt refuse that either.

 

[Phil25]

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. Mark 12:17. Jesus did indeed, at the minimum, support paying taxes. Of course he supported charity, but he also said a rich man cannot get into Heaven. I also have my doubts Jesus would support lowering tax rates for the rich when our country has so many who are poor and unable to afford food. He may support increasing their taxes because the tendency of the ultra wealthy to hoard and soak up even more money is one the greatest impediments to everyone but the ultra rich in living a financially stable life that isn't subjected to the whims of an executive who wants more money so he sends his workers to the unemployed and welfare lines.

Can you tell in where did Jesus say, that rich man cannot go to heaven?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Can you tell in where did Jesus say, that rich man cannot go to heaven?

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:21-24


He makes it pretty clear selling your possessions and giving the money to the poor is prerequisite for even following him. And the point is reiterated in Mark:
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Mark 11:23-27


And if twice isn't enough, the Bible states three times that rich people tend to not go to Heaven:
For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Luke 18:25
The Bible has few consistencies, and this is one of them. Even when context is considered, that it is greed and selfishness that are punished rather than inherent wealth, it paints a picture that you must actively use your wealth to alleviate the plight of the poor. And when so much of the world starves and lives in abject poverty, and when only a few have more wealth than entire nations combined, I think an updated analogy would be a blue whale trying to get through a hole punched by an electro-discharge machine.

 

[Phil25]

Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:21-24


He makes it pretty clear selling your possessions and giving the money to the poor is prerequisite for even following him. And the point is reiterated in Mark:
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Mark 11:23-27


And if twice isn't enough, the Bible states three times that rich people tend to not go to Heaven:
For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. Luke 18:25
The Bible has few consistencies, and this is one of them. Even when context is considered, that it is greed and selfishness that are punished rather than inherent wealth, it paints a picture that you must actively use your wealth to alleviate the plight of the poor. And when so much of the world starves and lives in abject poverty, and when only a few have more wealth than entire nations combined, I think an updated analogy would be a blue whale trying to get through a hole punched by an electro-discharge machine.

He said its hard for rich to go to heaven. Not impossible. And the poor have no direct ticket to heaven. Even if a poor man thinks that his money(whatever he has) is more important than God, then he is not going to heaven either. And believe there are plenty of poor, who think that Wealth is the most important thing.

 

[Phil25]

By money I don't mean the money necessary for survival in a developed country. By money I mean huge amount of money. More than 500 dollars\euros per week.

My question is: does owning lots of money make people happy?
By people I mean you, not the others

I want to vote Other.