If you're so rich, why aren't you happier?

I found a great article here.

THE NEGLECT OF THE ABILITY OF HUMAN BEINGS TO REVISE OUR DESIRES HAS A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON CONSUMER CULTURE. MOST PEOPLE MOST OF THE TIME HAVE A WEAK SENSE OF WHAT WE WANT AND HOW MUCH WE WANT IT.

I really enjoyed it - I hope others do too... A salient reminder to spend some time to discover what we really want in life, in the absence of marketing and other influences. At the end of the day I find my own desires getting simpler and easier to satisfy in the main. Well worth some effort to work it out properly rather than let others work it out for you by default.

The reality seems to be that beyond a reasonable level of comfort, the ability of money alone to bring more happiness diminishes rapidly. Other than providing some way of keeping score of course!
 
The reality seems to be that beyond a reasonable level of comfort, the ability of money alone to bring more happiness diminishes rapidly.

I agree and was thinking about this on the way to work, when it was announced on the radio the $2bn that the new BRW rich list contenders made from IT companies.

At first that put the money I'm trying to make from IPs into perspective, then secondly I thought what kind of life you have to lead to build a company like that, i.e. 100% work, no life balance. Then the next thing I thought was the diminishing return on the increasing wealth above a certain point.

I think economists call this marginal utility, the more you have of something the less marginal utility you get each time it increases - it doesn't make you happier.

In terms of comfort - I like the metaphor that Mr Money Moustache uses, of the catheter and the bedpan. If you keep following the slippery slope of more comfort and even more, then that's where you'll end up not even wanting to take the effort to use the bathroom or get out of bed. There is pleasure in effort, and most things worth doing take alot of effort.

Making decisions in the absence of marketing is hard considering how plugged into media we are these days. But simple things like choosing not to receive junk mail, not watching broadcast TV (only watch recordings with no ads), and using ad blockers on your browser do work wonders. I prefer to "consume" based on a "pull" model instead of what often happens where people buy choices that are "pushed" to them via advertising.
 
Thanks for this :)

This is an excellent point

"But people looking back on their lives rarely see the stuff they bought as what really mattered. They often appreciate the time they spent being present and attentive to others and to the experiences of life more than the time they spent earning money so they could exchange it for things with price tags".

This is sort of on the same subject I think...... even if you have enough money today, its not enough because you need to do the same/help your children, set them up? This can create pressure but also stress, its a dual edged sword. Does anyone think the same way, or is it just me???
 
Hedonic adaptation an interesting concept, particularly the fact that it can work both ways ie. going from more to less can (eventually) lead to similar levels of happiness experienced in the original state.
 
Thanks for this :)

This is an excellent point

"But people looking back on their lives rarely see the stuff they bought as what really mattered. They often appreciate the time they spent being present and attentive to others and to the experiences of life more than the time they spent earning money so they could exchange it for things with price tags".

This is sort of on the same subject I think...... even if you have enough money today, its not enough because you need to do the same/help your children, set them up? This can create pressure but also stress, its a dual edged sword. Does anyone think the same way, or is it just me???

Like you are suggesting, setting children up is one thing, but some people take it too far and set out to bankroll their children's lives. I really like the quote Warrent Buffet, el richo extraordinaire, says about this: "I want to give my kids just enough so that they would feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they would feel like doing nothing".
 
Good point, I like that.

I think you can give too much, perhaps teach them what you know and this is a leg up anyway, of course if they don't want to do this then its their choice.

I recall reading Peter Spann book years ago now where he wrote ......"teach your children how to invest, otherwise they will be sitting around waiting for you to drop dead".
 
This is sort of on the same subject I think...... even if you have enough money today, its not enough because you need to do the same/help your children, set them up? This can create pressure but also stress, its a dual edged sword. Does anyone think the same way, or is it just me???

This is a good point and you are not alone :). One of my main priorities in life is to give my kids a good start without going overboard. This means, life is a tad complicated :D.
 
On the other side of the coin, my g/friend's parents have been very successful property investors, and she is already counting the money, they are still alive:eek:

Bit tacky I think
 
On the other side of the coin, my g/friend's parents have been very successful property investors, and she is already counting the money, they are still alive:eek:

Bit tacky I think

haha my brother and i are already "fighting" over the family heirlooms like the furniture we have sentimental memories of. not interested in the money, only the irreplacable stuff! :D
 
haha my brother and i are already "fighting" over the family heirlooms like the furniture we have sentimental memories of. not interested in the money, only the irreplacable stuff! :D

Funny
My mother has started giving me all her fine china, hey she never uses it, still in its box 20 years later. That wont happen with me, I plan to use it every day:D
 
Funny
My mother has started giving me all her fine china, hey she never uses it, still in its box 20 years later. That wont happen with me, I plan to use it every day:D

i once told my mum how ridiculous it was to keep fine china unused and only brought out on the odd occasion and even then often for people you didnt care all that much about. she now uses them a lot more
 
On the other side of the coin, my g/friend's parents have been very successful property investors, and she is already counting the money, they are still alive:eek:

Bit tacky I think

:eek:
I told parents to spend their money on themselves enjoying life as their kids are still young and can work.
 
I think the problem is in the title.

Being happy has nothing to do with being rich. I know a lot of ppl think that they would be happy if only they were rich, and its simply not the case.

Happiness is a state of mind.

Anthony Robbins explains it very well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPh6rLjsCp8

Thanks, I could never get into this guys stuff, purchased 1 book, though I liked this.

So Happiness is contentment, they are the same right??

In a nutshell Robbins is saying that everyone has a blue print/goals, what you want in life and if your expectations meet these then this creates contentment/happiness.

I know clique, but I see these items as pretty much up there if you want to achieve happiness/contentment

Family and Friend (nurture relationships)

Appreciate/enjoy what you have

Maintain an optimistic outlook

Have purpose/goals

Live today/in the moment


On the flip side I believe we can be our own worst enemy. Some people will never be happy regardless, their expectations are not realistic/achievable which in turn creates unhappiness/stress.

MTR:)
 
i once told my mum how ridiculous it was to keep fine china unused and only brought out on the odd occasion and even then often for people you didnt care all that much about. she now uses them a lot more

Totally agree there, enjoy it today. I have adopted this attitude and taking it to new heights and loving it:p
 
"Making decisions in the absence of marketing is hard considering how plugged into media we are these days. But simple things like choosing not to receive junk mail, not watching broadcast TV (only watch recordings with no ads), and using ad blockers on your browser do work wonders. I prefer to "consume" based on a "pull" model instead of what often happens where people buy choices that are "pushed" to them via advertising."

I stopped buying the paper, very rarely watch the news on local TV, I just watch stuff recorded on foxtel or the net, it has made me a much more positive person I think.

I do look at the new on the net at work, so I am not out of the loop completely, its still hard to read sometimes though.

Chomp
 
Hedonic adaptation an interesting concept, particularly the fact that it can work both ways ie. going from more to less can (eventually) lead to similar levels of happiness experienced in the original state.

Strange but true. Truth is stranger than fiction.:)
 
Totally agree there, enjoy it today. I have adopted this attitude and taking it to new heights and loving it:p

I'm a bit the same.... its great to save for the future, but you have to live for now as well.

My mum was diagnosed with cancer a few months after retiring. She died at 61. You never know what the future holds.

My brother was horrified to see the 'good bowls' we had on special occasions as kids are now used by my pets.
 
My brother was horrified to see the 'good bowls' we had on special occasions as kids are now used by my pets.

My mother gave me one of her many dinner sets some years ago. I presumed that it would have to be a cheap one because she only ever gives me junk for presents. One day I took some plates to work for a luncheon, then at the end of the meal I snatched them back from the washer-upperer claiming I'll throw them in the dishwasher when I get home. A colleague checked underneath and announced that they were in fact Noritake with gold leaf. WT? These days those same plates are pure white but the rest of the set is hidden in a corner cupboard and again forgotten about until Christmas day.
 
Back
Top