Thread: Money Gives You Ultimate Happiness

Being able to breathe doesn't necessarily mean you are happy, the same is true for having a lot of money, but less so.

Originally Posted by Spartiate

Being able to breathe doesn't necessarily mean you are happy, the same is true for having a lot of money, but less so.

Exactly my point.
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Theres a lot of posts, and I didn't read them all. But say you have Cancer, with three months to live. Now what?

Originally Posted by kornwithakay

Theres a lot of posts, and I didn't read them all. But say you have Cancer, with three months to live. Now what?

Say you're on the streets, living from discarded pizza boxes...

Situations are subjective.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

It was just a metaphor, outlining my initial point. Picture yourself, 30 years from now. You may not even have contact with the people that you know, by then. If money is the most powerful force in the world, could it adequately substitute the unconditional bond that you have with your loved ones, right now? If you were to become a multi-billionaire, right now, and all of your loved ones died or moved on, within the next 6 years, how much stronger is money than that bond you had with those people? You are now (metaphorically) "alone." The last of the people that knew you for you, before you were a possible financial asset, has long gone. Is money more powerful, or more important, than those bonds you have lost?

Well said.

There are bonds that can exist forever; such as bonds with who you are and your personal power. Money is control over you because you think you need it to be happy. You put your faith in paper. Nothing the "soul" needs can be bought. We are born with everything we need. My mind is worth more to me than to have business holding fear of destitution over my head. I would burn 1 million dollars just to prove this point; and make no mistake. Their power is an illusion. My power is real.

At the most, money can help you to have a "more convenient" life, but I think with more convenience comes more misery and stagnation. The simpler and less cluttered one's life is, the happier you are. The more you save an buy, the more miserable and fearful of loss you become; and subsequently you lose your independence. Do you own your belongings? Or do they own you?

Originally Posted by Never

Well said.

There are bonds that can exist forever; such as bonds with who you are and your personal power. Money is control over you because you think you need it to be happy. You put your faith in paper. Nothing the "soul" needs can be bought. We are born with everything we need. My mind is worth more to me than to have business holding fear of destitution over my head. I would burn 1 million dollars just to prove this point; and make no mistake. Their power is an illusion. My power is real.

I don't need it to be happy. I can be happy other ways. But money can and will make me happy. I need food. I can buy it with money. I need shelter. I can buy that with money. If you're talking about spiritual things I can't argue with you because personally I don't believe in a soul. I only think we are made of flesh and blood and hence we need money to survive, and only things that will get us through life. Through money you can get everything you need. But I won't get into "souls".

Originally Posted by Never

At the most, money can help you to have a "more convenient" life, but I think with more convenience comes more misery and stagnation. The simpler and less cluttered one's life is, the happier you are. The more you save an buy, the more miserable and fearful of loss you become; and subsequently you lose your independence. Do you own your belongings? Or do they own you?

Interesting.... but I also have to disagree with you. How is a simpler life more rewarding and exciting? I like to live complicated and quickly. Money lets me get whatever I need.... A simple life seems boring and predictable. Taking risks and gambling your gains and losses are all part of life. You do that every day. It's exciting, and part of the game.

Originally Posted by Grod

I don't need it to be happy. I can be happy other ways. But money can and will make me happy. I need food. I can buy it with money. I need shelter. I can buy that with money. If you're talking about spiritual things I can't argue with you because personally I don't believe in a soul. I only think we are made of flesh and blood and hence we need money to survive, and only things that will get us through life. Through money you can get everything you need. But I won't get into "souls".

I am not religious; that is why I used apologetic quotes. By "soul" I mean that intangible experience that we all feel, often leading people to believe in such things.

Originally Posted by Grod

Interesting.... but I also have to disagree with you. How is a simpler life more rewarding and exciting? I like to live complicated and quickly. Money lets me get whatever I need.... A simple life seems boring and predictable. Taking risks and gambling your gains and losses are all part of life. You do that every day. It's exciting, and part of the game.

The simple life refers to not being tied down by a house, furniture, objects, money, and other things. Take it to any degree you wish, but the more complex you make it, the tighter your fetters. Why is the simple life better? Because that is what we are made for. For example it is easy to pay the builder to build your garage; but it has no reward. Build it yourself and you get something that laziness could never produce.

We can always think of more expensive and technological ways to entertain ourselves, but in the end it is all empty. Only experience can really explain this. I get more out of 4 weeks in the woods with only minimal gear than I ever could in any modern form of entertainment. In fact my goal is to go completely homeless one day, not eating out of trash cans mind you, but living off of minimal money;say 50 bucks per month in the woods, unless I can find land on which to build a small shack in the woods; then I can live with no money whatsoever.

We are polar opposites I suppose, hehe.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

There is always the chance that you will not have your present circle of friends, for all time. What then? People die, people move on. They move out of state or start their own lives, in which you may not always have the amount of time with them that you presently have. What, then, about the prospects of new friends? If you were surrounded by strangers, after falling into your new money? In my experience, there are many more gold-diggers than there are good, honest, moral people. If the circle of people that you surround yourself with, now, begins to dwindle, is money more valuable than chemistry? Is it more valuable than the connection that you shared with those people, and the knowledge that they liked you for you, when you didn't have money? Can it replace that friendship/kinship, substantially, with people who know you have money, when you meet them - taking into account the chance that they are only trying to get close to you because you're rich and friendly?


It was just a metaphor, outlining my initial point. Picture yourself, 30 years from now. You may not even have contact with the people that you know, by then. If money is the most powerful force in the world, could it adequately substitute the unconditional bond that you have with your loved ones, right now? If you were to become a multi-billionaire, right now, and all of your loved ones died or moved on, within the next 6 years, how much stronger is money than that bond you had with those people? You are now (metaphorically) "alone." The last of the people that knew you for you, before you were a possible financial asset, has long gone. Is money more powerful, or more important, than those bonds you have lost?

Ok, I can understand what you were getting at. But who says I have to give up my friends to make it? I don't have to sacrifice one to have the other.


For the sake of the argument, I'll say they all died. I would be alone. I would have no one, and people who wanted to be close to me would probably just be after my wealth. But from there, I have options. There is virtually nothing I couldn't do. I could give it all away, and start over with just enough to support myself. I wouldn't do that, but if I wanted to, I could.

My point is I don't like to compare them because if I have one it doesn't necessarily mean I'll lose the other.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Those are good objectives that you listed, but remember that happiness is subjective. Different things make different people happy. Believe it or not, there are people that live in relative poverty that have achieved "ultimate happiness." It is all a matter of perspective. Is a rich man with hardly any true friends (hypothetically) or a real, unconditional, loving relationship any more ultimately happy than a poor person with the most sincere present relationships and the ability to attract more affection, from practically everyone he meets, without his bank account being a factor in those relationships? If so, how do you determine this?

I can't. The poor man would probably be happier with his relationships, while the rich man would be alone and desolate with his millions. But with money, I have options. As I said, I could happy by using it wisely. I always get a rush when the money I invested or supported turns beneficial to me. You live life to the fullest when you can do anything you want. I could even hide my money. I could make it seem as if I had normal funds, disguising my self as a normal person. I could see for real if someone liked me for myself and not my money. With a poor man, he doesn't have many choices. He may be happy then, but how will he get food tomorrow or support his family? With money I never need to worry about things like that and can concentrate on getting true relationships and friends.

Of course, all of this would only happen if I had to give up my friends and family to become rich or soon after.

Originally Posted by Never

I am not religious; that is why I used apologetic quotes. By "soul" I mean that intangible experience that we all feel, often leading people to believe in such things.

I see, fair enough.

Originally Posted by Never

The simple life refers to not being tied down by a house, furniture, objects, money, and other things. Take it to any degree you wish, but the more complex you make it, the tighter your fetters. Why is the simple life better? Because that is what we are made for. For example it is easy to pay the builder to build your garage; but it has no reward. Build it yourself and you get something that laziness could never produce.

I would agree with you there(about the garage). I don't like laziness, and plus if I built the garage I could save money. I know that's not how you meant it, but I agree.

Originally Posted by Never

We can always think of more expensive and technological ways to entertain ourselves, but in the end it is all empty. Only experience can really explain this. I get more out of 4 weeks in the woods with only minimal gear than I ever could in any modern form of entertainment. In fact my goal is to go completely homeless one day, not eating out of trash cans mind you, but living off of minimal money;say 50 bucks per month in the woods, unless I can find land on which to build a small shack in the woods; then I can live with no money whatsoever.

We are polar opposites I suppose, hehe.

Yeah, I don't think we would go anywhere on this, heh.

Originally Posted by O'nus

Exactly my point.
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Sorry, I should have worded it "Money and using it wisely gives you ultimate Happiness."

Just wouldn't have been as poignant.

Or did I miss something.

Originally Posted by Grod

Sorry, I should have worded it "Money and using it wisely gives you ultimate Happiness."

Just wouldn't have been as poignant.

Or did I miss something.

Yeah, but you illustrate it as the embodiement of happiness. As though, if you just have money and know how to use it, you will be happy.

I would say that samething, but about your brain. Have a properly functioning one, and all you need to do is feel happy. Tah-dah!

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Originally Posted by O'nus

Yeah, but you illustrate it as the embodiement of happiness. As though, if you just have money and know how to use it, you will be happy.

I would say that samething, but about your brain. Have a properly functioning one, and all you need to do is feel happy. Tah-dah!

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Happiness doesn't come naturally. There has to be a source.

Originally Posted by Grod

Happiness doesn't come naturally. There has to be a source.

How about choice?

Is not the delusion when we that we must have a reason to be happy rather than simply choose to be happy..?

We can be happy and simply look at money and all other extraneous variables as "the cherry on top" of our fundamental happiness.

What do you think...?
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Hmmmmm... I have not read all the replies here, but I like money - having money makes me happy - because I can do things that ultimately make me happy. That's not to say when I don't have it I am not happy, I am - but by the same token I am happy with money, and like having it

i agree that money buys happiness, it all depends how you get it thought if ur a drug dealer thats a diffferent story ull either die or go to jail, if ur an average joe and u have money it will bring happiness 100% i dont care what pple say but i believe ur whole life 90% of it is money, think about it 90% of the time pple dont do what they want is because they dont have enough money or dont want to waste money if u have alot of money its ok to do things u want to do becuase u can afford it.
some pple say family / friends is more important blah blah of course its important but tell me who on earth does not have at least a 1 or 2 friends ?. Family will always be there unless thay past away or there has been bad hisotry in the past , money can help reduce stress and sadness. i hate how pple say money doesnt bring happiness bull shit it doesnt , if ur refering to the rich rich they live a COMPLETELY COMPLETELY different world its like another planet once u get a taste im sure ull never want to go back.

Originally Posted by Howie

My dog is very sick.
All the money in the world will not make me happy at this moment.

It is hard to beleive anyone would fail to recognize the many examples that money could not sustain happiness.

you cant use that, its like saying my mum died of course money isnt going to make u happy money isnt going to give u everything , death is apart of life nothing will ever change that. MONEY can extremely change the mood and ur life completly

i think that money can bring happiness, but it cannot cure sadness i.e. mortality. But, happiness can be achieved by other means: new relationships, bettering your workmates in wage terms, success, anti-depressants, Electro compulsice therapy, psychosurgery.

The Money Programme
I think this speaks for itself. End of debate.

In his words: Money can buy you happiness, because it can buy a waverunner, have you ever seen someone frown on one of those things. Theyre awesome!

People and their shiny things.

Originally Posted by O'nus

Okay, so what is the difference between looking at money as a means to happiness or oxygen as a means to happiness?

You can't be happy without oxygen, because you would be dead.

In every happy event, you breath oxygen.

You need oxygen to feel euphoric (happy).

Overwhelming amounts of oxygen can make you feel a euphoric high.

If we are just looking at money as a means to happiness, then we should not associate it as the cause of happiness.
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You make feel that I could die at any moment. Kind of like when you said we are all dying because we're growing old.

The mere comparison of money with oxygen is extremely disturbing.

Originally Posted by Jeff777

There are plenty of millionaires who have turned to a life of drinking/drugs

Like thats bad if you have money.

Originally Posted by O'nus

How about choice?

Is not the delusion when we that we must have a reason to be happy rather than simply choose to be happy..?

We can be happy and simply look at money and all other extraneous variables as "the cherry on top" of our fundamental happiness.

What do you think...?
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Happiness comes from past experiences... for example, I tried that now and I relied on past expeiriences where I was happpy, like when I was with my friends, or making a deal, etc. Generally it seems these emotions are not as strong as when they were when I had the feelings of happiness, as to when I recalled them to make myself happy.

So I can choose to be happy, sure.... but it seems to be weak and pales to the memory it arrived from.

With money I can be happy in the moment, and make the most out of every day... after all, I would rather be doing things that made me happy then simply recalling things that made me happy. Do you agree?