If your reason for being unhappy is lack of money, then getting money might bring you happiness. If your unhappiness is caused by other reasons, it probably won’t help much. Likewise, if you can be happy when not having money, having more money doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be even more happy.
“It has been my experience that the majority of men are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
– Abraham Lincoln
My own favorite metaphor is that, in their own ways, everyone is a three-legged dog. They’re just as happy (or unhappy) as the four-legged kind.
Well, fritzoid, I’ve gone through times of money and gone through times of NO money, and I know that I’m not as happy when I’m broke as when I can eat and pay my bills.
(I’m NOT disagreeing with you, BTW; just putting in my 37 cents worth.)
That’s true, of course, Ushindi, that other things being equal, most people would rather have money they don’t need than need money they don’t have, but other things are NOT equal.
So many people base their happiness on “Well, if I made 50% more I’d be happy, but I can’t be happy until then.” If they get that 50% bump, they’ll say “I underestimated; I still need half again more than what I’ve got.” With that attitude, they’ll never have an amount that makes them happy.
Grandma’s quote “He is already rich who wants nothing” works whether you use “wants” as a synonym for “lacks” or “desires.” If your desires are unattainable, no amount of money will satisfy them. If your desires are simple and modest, they can be met on the cheap.
And remember, Agnes’ stated desire is to be rich, not “I wish we could make ends meet.” That’s a significant difference, the difference between what you want (“desire”) and what you need. “Enough” is enough, and “more than enough” is by definition superfluous, but much depends on how you determine what is “enough”, and that’s a determination everyone should give serious though to.
No offense, FishStix, but if that’s happiness, I’ll pass. Unless I can bring a book along, I’d throw myself in the water to escape the tedium. And if I can bring a book, why bother fishing? Why bother with the boat?
But if you can spare me a couple of beers, I’ll wait for you in the boathouse…
When I go out in MY boat, I have the beer, but I also have several books to read while waiting for the nibbles - a fisherman has to fish and a reader’s got to read…love doing both at the same time.
I want the one like the one on TV.
If you think you have nothing; you have nothing but want.
If you think you have everything, you want nothing
You also shouldn’t neglect the Socrates and Shakespeare;
the Lincoln nor his Logs.
Ushindi; I believe it got up to 44 centavos.
JerryGorton over 14 years ago
This is so good!! and correct!
fritzoid Premium Member over 14 years ago
If your reason for being unhappy is lack of money, then getting money might bring you happiness. If your unhappiness is caused by other reasons, it probably won’t help much. Likewise, if you can be happy when not having money, having more money doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be even more happy.
“It has been my experience that the majority of men are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln
My own favorite metaphor is that, in their own ways, everyone is a three-legged dog. They’re just as happy (or unhappy) as the four-legged kind.
Ushindi over 14 years ago
Well, fritzoid, I’ve gone through times of money and gone through times of NO money, and I know that I’m not as happy when I’m broke as when I can eat and pay my bills. (I’m NOT disagreeing with you, BTW; just putting in my 37 cents worth.)
fritzoid Premium Member over 14 years ago
That’s true, of course, Ushindi, that other things being equal, most people would rather have money they don’t need than need money they don’t have, but other things are NOT equal.
So many people base their happiness on “Well, if I made 50% more I’d be happy, but I can’t be happy until then.” If they get that 50% bump, they’ll say “I underestimated; I still need half again more than what I’ve got.” With that attitude, they’ll never have an amount that makes them happy.
Grandma’s quote “He is already rich who wants nothing” works whether you use “wants” as a synonym for “lacks” or “desires.” If your desires are unattainable, no amount of money will satisfy them. If your desires are simple and modest, they can be met on the cheap.
And remember, Agnes’ stated desire is to be rich, not “I wish we could make ends meet.” That’s a significant difference, the difference between what you want (“desire”) and what you need. “Enough” is enough, and “more than enough” is by definition superfluous, but much depends on how you determine what is “enough”, and that’s a determination everyone should give serious though to.
fritzoid Premium Member over 14 years ago
No offense, FishStix, but if that’s happiness, I’ll pass. Unless I can bring a book along, I’d throw myself in the water to escape the tedium. And if I can bring a book, why bother fishing? Why bother with the boat?
But if you can spare me a couple of beers, I’ll wait for you in the boathouse…
fritzoid Premium Member over 14 years ago
I honestly don’t really see the point in tagging. What purpose is it intended to serve?
mlkirk12530 over 14 years ago
“He is richest who is content with the least.” – Socrates
Ushindi over 14 years ago
When I go out in MY boat, I have the beer, but I also have several books to read while waiting for the nibbles - a fisherman has to fish and a reader’s got to read…love doing both at the same time.
jpozenel over 14 years ago
I’ve never read while fishing.
I’m just not much of a multitasker.
sunnydog over 14 years ago
I want the one like the one on TV. If you think you have nothing; you have nothing but want. If you think you have everything, you want nothing You also shouldn’t neglect the Socrates and Shakespeare; the Lincoln nor his Logs. Ushindi; I believe it got up to 44 centavos.