Can Money Buy Happiness?

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by cardiacpaul

better Idea. Send me all of your spare money, and lets see if thecuban smiles.

A nickel is on its way...

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by artbyjody

I find the only currency that never changes value is that of mutual respect, and just living a life where you treat others as you wish you would be treated...

Best quote you made yet Jody...

[uspirate]

Originally Posted by therapy23

So, he was happy with money and now that he does not have it he is not happy. Hmmm.

interesting thought. actually he was still miserable when he had the $$$

[sailaway21]

The part of the article that I found most interesting was the reference to accumulated wealth and possessions. Even though older people had accumulated more of both their level of happiness did not rise in proportion.

Life is odd. I've had some seriously fast and wonderful cars in my time but, on reflection, I can't say I ever had as much fun in any of them as I did in the first car I ever bought for myself; a used '71 Beetle! I was just thinking the other day how I take for granted that the car's defroster works. In a '71 Beetle there was sort of a defroster, it worked on the convection principle, and you had to scrape the inside of the windshield as you drove in the winter. After about a half hour of driving you usually had enough heat within the car to maintain conditions. Of course it had bias ply tires, too. Now I take reliable, hassle free mobility almost for granted. And while I have it, I can't say that it's anymore "fun" than those years in the Bug.

The Bible commands us to be happy in whatsoever state we're in and I cannot think of better advise or credo to live by. For myself, if I take life's flat tires not as trauma but as merely an opportunity to transcend unforeseen circumstances I find that I go to bed happy and rewarded, just not happy and rewarded in the way I'd planned on starting out that morning. I make less than half what I did in the late 80's and yet I really feel like I want for nothing and my happiness level is as good as I daily make it.

I'd like to have both a Flicka and a nice kitchen for my wife. They'll either happen or they won't. In the meantime, tomorrow's challenges well met are enough. It's taken me almost 52 years to get to this point but then, I like to think that my god is a patient one. (g)

[uspirate]

thats great sway. i had a 62 ragtop (baja), full roll cage 33 inch tires and 12 inch travel shocks...what a sweet ride

[poopdeckpappy]

Money can absolutely buy happiness............as long as " HAPPINESS " is on the transom board of a 78' gaff rigged schooner and I'm at the helm

[ReverendMike]

I believe a study was done (how's that for authoritative? hahaha) which showed that "up to a certain point", more money = more happiness. Beyond this point, there was no correlation. It sounds right and echoes what someone posted earlier, if I can meet the financial obligations with a degree of safety and certainty, contentment is a lock.

[eMKay]

Yes, if you're smart. If you're not, well...It might buy you happiness until you're broke again. But I don't have money, so what do I know?

[Plumper]

Originally Posted by uspirate

another interesting story is of one of my former best friends. in 2000 his mom recieved an extremely large insurance settlement (approx 22 mil) she gave him 1 million for himself. he immediately quit his 62k per year job (teeling everyone to kiss his A$$ because he's rich) bought a house paying cash (360k) automobiles (160k) boat motorcycles, high end electronics etc etc. he ditched all his friends including myself because now we weren't wealthy enough for him (note that i used to loan this guy money to pay his rent buy gasoline etc) in mid 2007 all the money was gone and now he has no more friends, his "Dream Wife" left him and he had to start work making $16 per hour with a 100 mile daily commute in his Ford F-150 Harley Davidson truck. he still calls on occasion but i dont return his calls. but i'm going to say deep down inside him you can tell he's miserable even though he will tell you he's sitting on top of the world. It was then that i realized money isn't everything.

So why won't you return his calls? Maybe that is why he's unhappy.