Happiness or Money?

HoustonHeights · Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 7

In response to the aforementioned issue of the age old question, 'happiness or money?', I can say from personal experience that for all of those asking themselves that question, they should remember one thing.

You cannot put a price on happiness.

While I am not exactly long in the tooth just yet, I have lived quite the adventurous life thus far. I have lived in multiple states. I have worked for tiny start up companies, and I have worked for corporate america.

While the larger, corporate america environments may provide stability in a time where it seems impossibly to be stable, it comes at a cost.

While it is of course vital to the survival of our economy to have the masses that are willing to succumb to that environment so as to keep our nation afloat, it is also sad that most of them realize they have provided a service not all to unlike that of our armed services members.

They have worked tirelessly year after year doing as they are told, being exploited at the hand of a fat cat who has sat atop his throne sneering at his kingdom reaping the benefits of their slavery, given the best years of their lives, and handed over their souls on a silver platter all so that we may enjoy the ignorant bliss of a prominent economy.

I, myself, will never be able to work for a huge corporate again, but I take my hat off to those who do and I thank them for the work that they do that as afforded me the lifestyle to which I have grown accustomed.

muffins_protege · Joined: 26 Jul 2008 Posts: 3

Well you didn't mention the type of happiness you referred to, but after reading your post I assumed you were thinking of the happiness coming from a good job, or from having the dream job. But there are more types of happiness that I will not get into.

First off a good job usually means one that pays well and doesn't have many responsibilities -or is this the ideal kind of job?-
However while you said you'll never work in a corporate American environments because you disliked the amount of work needed to be done -maybe poorly payed in your opinion- for some this is an ideal job.

I worked in a small business with a decent income compared to other places and i didn't even have many tasks to do. I was a secretary, but after some time I started hating the job and everybody else there so I quit. then came an older woman that was happy with the job.

While I agree that one can't put a price on happiness, the happiness can be bought. Examples: an expensive dress/ring/car/house can make a woman happy. You need MONEY to buy those. Having a happy family means being able to provide food, clothing, shelter, and even health for it, which is done still with MONEY.

I don't really think one can choose whether to be happy or rich, especially when lately being rich means being happy.
NOTE: please, see that I'm trying to argue and that I DO see your point of view also.

HoustonHeights · Joined: 15 Jul 2008 Posts: 7

I would just like to confirm, since we are bantering for arguments sake, that I never once said that I did not like working in Corporate America because of the amount of work required of me.

If I had said this, then the most simple and best argument to throw out for arguments sake would be that I am lazy.

This, however, is not the case. My disdain for corporate America had nothing to do with the tasks that were asked of me, but everything to do with the fact that the work I was doing was giving me nothing while it lined the pockets of a few fat cats that sat atop the corporate latter.

While some, mainly those fat cat atop that latter, might argue that the satisfaction of a job well done should be enough reward, I simply say to them that they can take that kool aide to someone else because I'm not drinking.

While there is a certain satisfaction in a job well done, if that job well done does nothing to line my pockets, further my career, or better my quality of life then it has now become a job well done in vein, for which there can be no satisfaction.

So when answering a post, I do urge you to read it carefully before doing so as I never complain that I was being asked to do too much. I simply complained that I was being exploited so that the rich could get richer all the while hoping that, like so many others, I would be none the wiser.

If I am going to put in a hard day's work then I would like to see the results of that hard day's work in MY life, not the president of my company's life.

yvonnewilcox · Joined: 27 Jul 2008 Posts: 9

Hmm how do I answer this question? Well sometimes you do not need money to be happy but then there are other times you need the money to create happiness in others. I guess it all depends on the situation. I think my husband and I were happier when we did not have a lot of money because we did not have a lot of bills.

I think it is like this "More Money, more Problems". I think I even heard this phrase in a rap song.

Now back to reality, if I could buy happiness I would. If I had to choose happiness or money, I would choose happiness. I have been in a position where I had a lot of money, fake friends and false happiness.

Give me Happiness or BUST!!!

ttrollinger81@yahoo.com · Joined: 30 Jul 2008 Posts: 10

At this point in time Money!!! GIVE ME MONEY!!! LOL. I currently work for a rather large corporation and do not make enough money. I am so serious. If I were tell you what I do for a living and how much I make an hour you would probablly laugh. The last company I worked for I made very good money and had not reached top pay.At the time I thought I disliked my job very much. However after getting laid off and having to take a job with another company doing the same thing plus more for four dollars less an hour I pray day and night for my old job to call me back. I am in the process of obtaining a degree and without it I don't have many options. So to answer the question Times are Tight and Money is hard so give me MONEY any day.

MrMonkeyPants · Joined: 04 Aug 2008 Posts: 6

Overall, isn't it all about happiness? If you want money then in that case wouldn't it be money that makes you happy? Unless its the only thing keeping you alive then is life what makes them happy? I watched a stunning anime series recently called, "Elfen Lied," and at one point the character Nana, who had no idea how money even worked, wanted some food, but all she had was this funny paper stuff (Japanese bank notes). Unknown to her she had a wealth of money on her. To remain content and alive she stayed in the cemetery and burned a large sum of it to stay warm. My point is it seems that money could make a lot of people happy (or just warm), even if not under the mainstream circumstances.

tekwriter · Joined: 07 Aug 2008 Posts: 5

I've been happy poor and unhappy rich, as well as vice-versa! I'm really shooting for "Happiness With Money" but I'm generally the type of person to be content with whatever life throws me. If I'm not happy, then I make the changes necessary (such as getting divorced or getting a new job). I think that if you're an independent, resourceful person, you'll be better off than a dependent, needy one. As long as a person realizes that in the end, they're responsible for their own happiness, it really doesn't matter if they're rich or not!

DianaR · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 85

Happiness and money go hand in hand, they are not mutually exclusive and one augments the other.

Zillamaster · Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 10

Money is the root to all happiness...

stagewhisper · Joined: 26 Aug 2008 Posts: 16

I think that the key to happiness is, along with doing what you love, you should be able to do what you love for a (modest) living. After all, there's a difference between doing what you love and having just enough to get by and doing what you love and getting nothing for it!

My older sister is an actress; it's not the most reliable paycheck, but she loves what she does, and she and her husband have enough of an income to have a house to live in, and two dogs. And it is very obvious to me that she is happy.

jen13 · Joined: 02 Sep 2008 Posts: 8

While I do not find myself torn on which I would prefer, I am with regards to how I should respond to some of the comments found here.

I'm not sure if the problem with Corporate America is with those at the highest levels or those at the mid- and lower mid-levels. Yes, I did work for a rather large corporation for 8 years where we were told each year that there was very little money available for raises - even though our President and CEO was receiving a $4 MILLION BONUS!!!

But it wasn't the money that finally drove me away from the company, it was my boss...a woman who'd been with the company twice as long as I who had just reached the ceiling of where she could advance and didn't even realize it. She had the attitude of "If I just keep taking on more and more and riding my staff - even if they happen to be in the hospital - then everyone will see how wonderful I am at my job and I'll move up quickly." At the point at which I made my exit, her entire staff was on the verge of leaving and she'd made an enemy of nearly everyone with whom she came in contact within the company. *sighs* To me, it seems as though some overzealous and ill-equipped few managers can destroy a company from the ground up, no matter how well-intentioned the actions of those at the top may be.

As for the question of money or happiness, I have zero qualms saying happiness. The things I enjoy the most don't require much if any money. I'm happier curled up on the couch with a good book than I am out on the town. At the end of the day, happiness comes from within ourselves. We can choose to be content with our circumstances or we can choose to be dissatisfied and constantly seek more, more, more.

The only difference between happiness and sadness is perception.

loveme · Joined: 07 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

I agreed with you that happiness should not be measured by money amount. I know that a lot of people earned a lot from their employment but they are just not happy, simply because they don't like to be told what to do or have to constantly meet a set of high standards.

ThirdEye · Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Ultimately, I think happiness comes mainly from one's peace of mind. Somebody is happy when they are at peace with the decisions they have made and the lifestyle they are living. Although it might sound bad to some people, I think money provides this peace of mind for many of us out there. Among many things, money keeps us fed, keeps us entertained, and helps us feel that we are successful in life when compared to others with less money. Regardless of the moral implications, I believe that money is a huge (and legitimate) source of happiness.