Ultimately, do you think wealth can buy happiness?

Question

Personally I find that wealth, knowledge and power gives you opportunities to become happy and do good for yourself and others. What do you think?

Answer 1

You are right - wealth in the financial sense opens doors to wealth in other areas.

However, you can't spend financial wealth to purchase emotional capital. Everything in between money and happiness will do everything in its power to convert your financial wealth into their emotional capital.

This is why rich people wonder if their friend really hang around because of their money or because them. This is why people who make it rich quickly covet friends they had when they were poor. This is why often friends from 'the old days' leave a 'lottery winner' jaded about the very nature of friendship.

This is a not absolute, but well established pattern for quick wealth earners and is in my opinion evidence why money indeed cannot buy happiness.

Perhaps the difference is a sudden change in wealth disparity between friends. I don't know - either way, it sucks, but its true. I think its obvious that a big determiner of a sucessful friendship is relative economic equality - you just don't see a CEO and janitor going out for beers after work - even if they see each other every day, respect each other, converse, enjoy each other's company, etc.,.... right or wrong, both parties feel uncomfortable somehow - the janitor can't accept the CEO paying all the time nor can the CEO accept the janitor paying even once. This would be economically fair, but socially unfair just like the taking turns would be socially fair but economically unfair - social fairness and economic fairness are not easily rectified in that situation so its avoided so naturally its not even realized. Unfortunately, one seems to have to start on a similar economic level for social fairness to be a possibility.

Personally, I'd love the security without the potential impact over other people's futures. Sure, I have a list of priorities (example - security for me includes security for my mom) but whatever it takes to guarantee security is mine... keep the rest for charity.

Answer 2

I agree with you that wealth, knowledge, and power can give one opportunities to become happy. However, happiness is a personal choice, beyond wealth. Both the poor and the rich can be both happy and miserable. Good luck.

Answer 3

There never is an easy answer in this universe is there? Sure wealth can get you almost anything in this world, and for the time being you'd be happy. Yet as humans are in truth it will never leave you satisfied, for that is a feeling as fleeting as the wind itself. Like eating, eventually you always need more. So yes you can buy happiness, but ultimately you cant buy satisfaction. A sad and constant truth that we must forever live with

Answer 4

I think the only people who think money can buy happiness are those who have never had it. Having a lot of keys on ones key-chain makes for a lot of responsibility and headaches, that is, unless you are so rich and smart that you are able to have someone you trust to handle all the problems for you; But, Is there actually anyone like that that would not be the subject of suspicion after a while? and then there's the IRS with the 47% inheritance taxes for your kids to pay.
I think that the real key to happiness is being contented with things the way that they are-at the present moment- and knowing the difference between things one can control and things beyond this. Attitude really is everything. One can be happy if one lets themselves and makes their mind up to be happy despite problems or situations.
this does not mean that one cannot be pro-active and positively pursue activities and interests that enrich ones life. It is all in ones head.

Answer 5

It doesn't bring you any happiness in itself, but it can be important to have some money in order so that you'll have time to pursue happiness. Knowledge is in a different category from wealth and power -- there is more than enough to go around; whereas the more of the wealth and power of your society that you possess, the more responsibility you bear.

Answer 6

I go along with ur thinking. Funny enough earlier on I was out with my friend supposingly wealth man and had the same debate. He shares the same view as me but most of his time is spent trying to make money no time to spend it (if u see him he is a bit Screwed up) like meeting him 'cause he makes my poverty a heaven.

Basically all i am trying to say is money is not everything, in fact for some people it brings more pain than pleasure.

Answer 7

The way I see it, wealth can buy happiness to a certain point

A person can buy anything his heart desires, but end who would he share it with. If there are people in his life, are they there for the money he has or for the person himself.

There has been several celebrities who turn to drugs or suicide for that reason.

Answer 8

After an individual income of about $50,000 / year, there is no longer any correlation between income and happiness. So, money is related to happiness to a certain limited extent, but great wealth has no real relation to happiness at all.

Answer 9

"The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find it, put your whole soul into it --- every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have."
--- John D. Rockefeller III

Happiness, ventured William James, the noted 19th century philosopher/psychologist, is reflected in the ratio of one's accomplishments to one's aspirations. This suggests, of course, that when it comes to feeling happy in our lives, we can choose one of two paths: continually add to our list of accomplishments--or lower our expectations.

Since then, researchers have suggested new definitions of happiness and how we should go about getting there. In their attempt to understand and quantify the state of "subjective well-being" (lab-speak for happiness), a new ratio/question has emerged: How many positive vs. negative experiences must people have before they can call themselves genuinely "happy"?

The general consensus of current research is that happiness is greatest when we combine frequent numbers of good experiences with a few very intense ones. The good experiences may include, for example, having a good, productive job, a caring spouse or romantic partner, and several hobbies or interests that one takes pleasure in. An occasional romantic getaway weekend, the birth of a new child, or garnering recognition for some personal or professional deed would satisfy the need for intense pleasures.

Yet, to feel happy, our focus nevertheless needs to be on the frequency, not the intensity, of positive events in our lives. Learning how to take pleasure in the littler victories, recognizing their importance in our lives, and working hard to minimize the negatives will accomplish more than waiting around for a burst of intense pleasure.

Answer 10

yeah. wealth can buy you happiness. material possessions. but the happiness it brings is just temporary and not genuine. happiness in wealth will soon melt away! and with power, its not forever! but you can use your wealth, as well as knowledge and power, to help other people and that brings you happiness different from having material possessions.
Real happiness can work with or without them!!