The One Thing That Buys Happiness
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They say money doesn’t buy happiness.
And that’s true.
As Vance Woodward points out, the lack of money doesn’t necessarily make you miserable either.
There are relatively well-off folks in rich industrial countries who are more miserable than low-paid workers in poor countries. There are poor people in comparatively impoverished countries who are pretty damn happy.
And then there are rich people who aren’t the miserable schmucks portrayed in countless television shows, books, and, this blog post, actually. They’re super happy.
If that’s so, is there anything out there that can make you happier?
Yes.
While it’s true that poor people can be happy and rich people can be miserable, I think people who are in charge of their own fate are the happiest people.
Money is not a cure for unhappiness or a guarantee for happiness; it is only a tool for self-determination. The ability to determine your destiny, then, increases your chances of being happy.
But, wait, I hear you say. Wouldn’t a rich guy in America be happier then?
Not really.
A person that has a lot of money might be in debt. He or she might also be surrounded by people who are even more wealthy.
That may cause this person to work even harder to keep up with the Joneses–and the Joneses have no interest in their self-determination. Likewise, a person may be poor in income, but have little debt. If they lose their job, no big deal. Technically, they could have a higher degree of self-determination than a millionaire.
So, if you are in charge of your financial future, you will automatically be happy.
Well, probably not. There are just some people who will be miserable–and happy–no matter what the circumstances. Therein lies the mystery.
Related posts:
- Automated Trading and Happiness
- Happiness Is A Warm Meme
- Delivering Happiness – What about Money?
- 7 Reasons Why Saving Money Makes You Poor: Reason #1
- The Rich Get Richer…
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I'm George Ulmer. Matt and I started this blog and launched the Online Investing AI business. Our goal is to develop the technology to allow anyone to retire after working for 10 years.
is one of my favorite financial books of all time. It's an allegory about a guy who has a terrible job, and how he overcomes challenges to achieve his dreams.
