[Waterthrush]

And now it is Cornelian who speaks truth. Those lottery winners we read about are the minority. Most are happily enjoying their winnings.

I think the Newsweek article is entirely too enthusiastic about how happy people are with very modest levels of income. I don't see it. I see people worried sick, literally, because they fear a job cut, because they fear a sickness, because they fear that their health care coverage will be cut entirely, leaving them to come up with an additional $900-$1200 per month.

Not worrying about paying the mortgage would NOT get old to me! It would be delightful. I too spent a long time with very little income; very slowly I've risen into middle class comforts. I still feel good when I don't have to subtotal my groceries in the middle of checkout; when I can make a reservation for car service to the airport for an early flight rather than parking my car, walking a half mile with luggage to the train station, taking a train, then taking a bus from the train station to the airport. It would be great to not worry that I haven't started saving for a car that I won't need to purchase for another 5-6 years.

I know pretty much what I would do if I were independently wealthy - and it would be great fun and more beneficial to the world around me than I feel now. There are all sorts of volunteer activities that I'd love to have more time and energy for.

I think the Newsweek article falls down when it fails to define "living in modest comfort!"

[Byron100]

Those of you who have written about the positive benefits of being wealthy, I'm not going to argue that, as I have no doubt that it has made a marked improvement in your lives.

I would like to say one additional thing, however. For every dollar that a rich person has over what is needed to live a decent, middle-class lifestyle is one less dollar that a poor person has available to spend. There's only so much money in the world, and being wealthy means that you command more resources in relation to others, who consequently have that much less. Wealth isn't created, it's redistributed. I for one, wish for a society that has NO rich people, only middle class and the not-so-poor (if feasibly possible).

Just something to ponder, is all...

[venky]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Byron100', 'T')hose of you who have written about the positive benefits of being wealthy, I'm not going to argue that, as I have no doubt that it has made a marked improvement in your lives.

I would like to say one additional thing, however. For every dollar that a rich person has over what is needed to live a decent, middle-class lifestyle is one less dollar that a poor person has available to spend. There's only so much money in the world, and being wealthy means that you command more resources in relation to others, who consequently have that much less. Wealth isn't created, it's redistributed. I for one, wish for a society that has NO rich people, only middle class and the not-so-poor (if feasibly possible).

Just something to ponder, is all...

[Graeme]

Against all the odds, the world is becoming a happier place

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'D')espite deepening economic gloom and impending climatic destruction the world is becoming a happier place, according to an analysis of quarter of a century of data on wellbeing from 45 countries around the globe. The finding goes against the received wisdom that a country's economic advances do not translate into increased wellbeing among its citizens.

Of the most improved countries, Ukraine, Moldova and Slovenia showed the largest hikes in average happiness while at the bottom of the table were Hungary, India and Australia. The US was firmly mid-table at 29th with Britain four places behind. However, both countries did better when it came to changes in the size of the happiest group of people. In Britain, the number of people saying they were "very happy" went up by around 13%. The equivalent figure for the US was around 8%. In Mexico, the number of people in that category went up by nearly 25%, a bigger rise than in any other country.

To get happier you can either reduce your expectations or increase what you have. Foa believes that the strong religious and family traditions of Latin American societies have served to help people come to terms with what they have, while at the same time they have advanced steadily economically – so the happiness gap has been narrowed from both ends.

Another major finding from the survey is that personal freedoms, democracy and a tolerant society are important for a nation's overall happiness, particularly in richer societies.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('big_rc', 'E')veryone knows that money cannot buy happiness but money sure as hell can rent some !!

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Byron100', 'T')hose of you who have written about the positive benefits of being wealthy, I'm not going to argue that, as I have no doubt that it has made a marked improvement in your lives.

I would like to say one additional thing, however. For every dollar that a rich person has over what is needed to live a decent, middle-class lifestyle is one less dollar that a poor person has available to spend. There's only so much money in the world, and being wealthy means that you command more resources in relation to others, who consequently have that much less. Wealth isn't created, it's redistributed. I for one, wish for a society that has NO rich people, only middle class and the not-so-poor (if feasibly possible).

Just something to ponder, is all...

[Grifter]

Rimmer Said

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'Y')ou call this happiness? Surrounded by toadying lackeys and paid sycophants? Living with a love-goddess sex-bomb model megastar? You call this contentment? You know, I stand here now and I look at the two of us, and I ask one simple question: Who is the rich man? You, with your fifty-eight houses, your private island in the Bahamas, you multi-billion pound business empire; or me, with... with... with what, I've got................................. It's you isn't it? Yes it's all very clear to me now. You - richer and happier.

[Nickel]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Graeme', 'O')f the most improved countries, Ukraine, Moldova and Slovenia showed the largest hikes in average happiness while at the bottom of the table were Hungary, India and Australia.

[frankthetank]

Sometimes "rented love" can give you herpes.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')immer Said
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'Y')ou call this happiness? Surrounded by toadying lackeys and paid sycophants? Living with a love-goddess sex-bomb model megastar? You call this contentment? You know, I stand here now and I look at the two of us, and I ask one simple question: Who is the rich man? You, with your fifty-eight houses, your private island in the Bahamas, you multi-billion pound business empire; or me, with... with... with what, I've got................................. It's you isn't it? Yes it's all very clear to me now. You - richer and happier.

[3aidlillahi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')here is no way I would voluntarily choose to go back to being poor again. Wink

[lorenzo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'E')conomies can blossom and grow only if people are deluded into believing that the production of wealth will make them happy … Economies thrive when individuals strive, but because individuals will strive only for their own happiness, it is essential that they mistakenly believe that producing and consuming are routes to personal well-being.

[Graeme]

The science of happiness

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'B')eing happy has always seemed like a good idea. But now science, with research to back it up, can finally show us how to get there.

IF RECENT scientific research on happiness -- and there has been quite a bit -- has proved anything, it's that happiness is not a goal. It's a process. Although our tendency to be happy or not is partly inborn, it's also partly within our control. And, perhaps more surprising, happiness brings success, not the other way around. Though many people think happiness is elusive, scientists have actually pinned it down and know how to get it.

Although Lyubomirsky likes to let people define happiness for themselves, clinically, she describes it as "a combination of frequent positive emotions, plus the sense that your life is good."

[Zero-point]

All unhappy rich people send me your money if you want to unload all that unhappiness.

[StuckInPhilly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('sicophiliac', 'I') think as stated before here money buys you free time, as well as peace of mind. Considering were only on this earth for around 80 year give or take, one third of that sleep and arguably the first 5 years and the last say 5-10 years too dependent on others or physically limited to really enjoy things I would say that money can bring happiness. Lets say we have a good 70 years of life to enjoy, 40 of which is working years and thus 13-15 years of that would be spent working just to make ends meet. If you won the mega-millions jackpot and had 10s of millions in the bank you would never need to work again. Never have to worry about paying the mortgage, worry about health care, having good quality food or the well being of your close friends or family. I would take that any day over working 40-50 hours a week, worrying about my family's and my own financial security. Watching the years go by knowing I am not really getting the most out of life and so on. Especially with peak oil right around the corner the stresses of knowing hard times on their way make it even worse.

[vision-master]

Rich ppl live longer as a rule.