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Money Can Buy Happiness
The oft-cited idiom that "money can't buy you happiness" - except in Phat Phong from what we hear - is summarily discussed by Michael Norton in this TED Talk as he notes that if you think that money cannot buy happiness then you are not spending it right. His point is (and his delivery is comedic yet clarifying) that money makes you anti-social or selfish (rather than happy) as we will tend to spend that money on ourselves (or the wrong things - a new Veyron perhaps?). But via experimentation (among people from Vancouver to Uganda) he discovered that spending money in a pro-social way will make you happy... So money can buy you happiness as long as you give it away once you have it - a noteworthy caveat - especially as Norton notes that the size of spending does not matter - as long as it focused towards someone else (and not, as he notes, in a dinner for your girlfriend with hopes of benefits later). In almost every country in the world, people who give money to charity are happier than people who do not give money to charity and interestingly spending-on-other-people made teams or people (sports or sales) more successful - of course, we assume taxation does not count as spending on other people.
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In the words of Daniel Tosh, "money can buy you a wave runner. And have you ever seen somebody frown on a wave runner?"
Money buys me happiness when I exchange it for Phyzz
Were I not married, I would exchange money for Phuzz, if you know what I mean.....................because once you're married, your money is exchanged for whatever she wants it to be exchanged for.............and phuzz becomes merely a result of how much exchanging she can do....
Maybe you could buy a divorce that would make you happy...
I'm not seeing many happy poor people lately.
Yes, this guy after he nearly drowned trying to ride it into a cargo van.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvZ3rjD7b_M
money as security and control is good = you control your own life
money as buying shit you don't need = short term fun, but long term less security and control = you are owned
It is not how much money you have but how much you have relative to others...your rank.
Divorced, worked for me :D
Good point, except I would lose half of the assets that I would later be exchanging for phuzz and then paying alimony monthly not to get the phuzz that I get on rare occasion. It's quite a conundrum.......
Well, there is a reason divorces are expensive...because they are worth it!
I'll give you the +1 on that because it sounds like you are now getting laid a lot...................
LMAO!!! You are quite receptive because that is very true!!! You should change your name to Nostradamus or something! plus one for you!
The only thing money can't buy is poverty.
http://vegasxau.blogspot.com
we didn't evolve to 'be happy'. we evolved to satisfy those culturally/environmentally condoned activities that give us the same neurotransmitter cascades that caused our evolutionary ancestors to meet with success. In todays culture - that means (primarily) acquiring money. It doesnt have to be that, and it won' be that for much longer. The digits we (think we) hold in the bank are like a squirrel putting nuts away. They dont make us happy, but we are 'satisfied' in that its what we think we should be doing.
Note to self ...
PhatPong vacation to emit some cascading neurotransmitters.
"Expectation is root of all unhappiness. Keep this in mind with money or marriage."
Neoconfucius
The 'unexpected reward' when the squirrel discovers the nuts were filled with a non-caloric substitute will probably engender a neurotransmitter cascade of a different sort....
Money can buy a certain type of happiness. Sure. Makes sense. Entirely depends on what kind of happiness you're talking about here.
"In almost every country in the world, people who give money to charity are happier than people who do not give money to charity and interestingly spending-on-other-people made teams or people (sports or sales) more successful - of course, we assume taxation does not count as spending on other people."
Sounds very scientific aaaaand it appeals to the libertaritian in me who hates paying taxes.
This is a good article. Keep em coming Tyler. You POS
MDB must be proud of your stupid comments. Troll elsewhere.
I'm glad you Tylers threw that taxation caveat in there.
...deleted pointless statement of the obvious...
Phay Pong no, Soi Cowboy maybe...
The government should raise taxes, then everyone will be happy...
TED has become a joke: Self-congratulatory posers, trying to define a slightly more hip status quo.
I once read that some Native American tribes had a custom that at the end of each year the tribe member with the most possessions/wealth had to give it all away. I think they were probaly pretty happy until we showed up.
The Native Americans had beads and trinkets to give up. Not much to miss. Giving up a mansion and a few BMWs. That would be something to miss.
It's called a potlach. The Amerindians of the PNW used to give away extraordinary amounts of material wealth. Destroying the potlach ceremony was considered essential to 'civilize' them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potlatch
they were so selfish they were only giving it away to increase their status.
Horseshit. Try educating yourself a tiny, tiny bit about Native American culture in general and the Potlatch tradition in particular:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potlatch
What was given away by the wealthiest was roughly equivilant to your BMWs - status was confered by the amount given.
In short, it was a really, really different mindset than what many on this list carry with them - call it the Yuppie brigade or whatever.
Of course money is important, until you have enough. The trick is defining what 'enough' is - some people will never get there, and probably never be happy.
So just for the hell of it, next panhandler you see, give them a yuppie food stamp ($20 bill) and see how that works for you.
war mongers, slave owners, scalpers, no property rights and no reason, worshiping made up stuff like crow gods, those were good times. give it away before its stolen not a bad philosophy
They had this whole continent all to themselves, and we "helped" them give it all away. So what's the problem?
So what he's saying is that the feelgood sensation from giving is true happiness - right? Is there any single lecture on TED that isn't total bullshit?
Here's one that's not total bullshit. It's called "How to Start a Movement," and it's only three minutes long. Enjoy.
http://blog.ted.com/2010/04/01/how_to_start_a/
So, being selfish while all around you starve makes you feel good? Check yer premises.
Money can buy you silver!
Silver can buy you a defence against crazy inflation.
Seems like money earned vs. money given to the participants to spend is a critical factor that was not considered in this analysis. I would posit that people spend money differently based on the mechanisms in which they receive it.
one can't get "happy", one can only be happy---you are or are not---now lets drink....
If you ain't got any, happiness is hard to find. But money alone and spending it on luxery doesn't buy happyness.
You can never spend enough.
If you can buy everything you need and a bit extra, you feel careless. And being careless helps to be less stressed and no stress creates room for happy moments.
But people think they need to feel happy all the time. And that's not possible.
Happynes is a moment. And those moments are whatS important in life.
If every moment in your life was a party, it wouldn't be called a party anymore.
People who are happy all the time only exist on facebook and on TV. They're not real.
To know happyness one must also know sadness.
Moderation in ALL things...
I want to make rich people as happy as possible. To do that, I have to force them to be charitable, because instinctively they try to keep as much of their money as they can and spend it on themselves which only makes them unhappy, which leads to their bitterness and desire to control everything and start wars, so what we need to do is force them to give 75% of their income over 500k to a charitable fund that would pay exclusively for the education and health care of fellow Americans who cannot afford it. Everyone would be so happy they would never stop smiling.
bitterness comes when people expect that people adore them for what they've got but somehow nobody likes them or adores them and they feel left alone.
Friend and family and normal relations without bragging are the cure. Not giving money away.
we get it, you are a tight ass, Each year you must watch the first 10 minutes of scrooge and then turn t off, since scrooge was right for fucking over everyone, being a tight ass, and never giving back to the community and its people, the rest of that story must really piss you off.
Making an observation about the state of things is NOT the same as condoning it; check yer premises.
Money can't make you happy, but at least you can choose your form of misery.
Spending money on other people isn't altruistic, what made them happy was the power from giving something that meant more to the person who received it than it did to you.
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it buys power, and power brings happiness.
Never give money to people. They'll never thank you for it and when you give money to people they change.
I never give money away. I never give a loan to friend or family either.
To dangerous. When you give it to friends or family, you can lose them.
Sometimes it's the best investment possible for the money.
Nop, mostly it's never enough.
utter bullshit.
Well spoken my friend. I had to learn that lesson on my own. Your dead on.
wow , that statement just oozes with stupidity. You are a very shallow and Im guessing lonely person.
that's a cultural thing. other cultures , from my observations, will loan between family members, but there is a big 'honour' thing going on about the success of a business and paying back the loan. (which is often interest free or very low interest)
there is also the expectation that once someone is set up, they will lend to someone else in the family.
i heard of an italian-australian tradition where the happy couple are bought a house by the extended family. everyone chips in, and they get a mortgage free house when wed. boy that would make life easier.
however, everyone with mtge free houses is expected to chip in when it's someone else's turn. even so, this is way cheaper than paying interest to a bank. pity anglo-saxon white debils can't get their selfish heads around it.
How can WE eliminate suffering by following yer advice?
Check yer premises. Possible solution: http://www.worldvision.org
I will. I don't care if it's the drunk hanging outside the beer store or a family member needing to pay a bill. And I don't lend I give. If I have it. Two weeks ago I gave my kid $250 to buy riding boots, there was a rodeo dance she wanted to go to and I didn't want her taking mine. That Sat night 2 young women crossing the street were struck by a drunk driver, my kid was in that group but at the back of the pack because her feet hurt from dancing all night in new boots. Sad that money matters more to you than family and friends.
I have been called an idiot by friends when I tell them how much I give and I'm still below 10% gross.
your quite a guy
Fuck that! I earned it, I keep it. Now if I didn't have income taxes to deal with, I would be more generous to the causes that are important to me. Animal welfare. A real misanthropist here!
Taxes, ye shall always have with you; suffering too if you do nothing to alleviate it: http://www.worldvision.org
Money does make you secure. And a secure person is generally a happy person. Hence, money does buy happiness.
What is happiness but freedom to not worry? Yes, money buys that.
money can also bring prisons, being enslaved by your "things" is no freedom.
Happy people are grateful. Grateful people give more to charity. Happy people make money, are grateful for it and tend to be more generous.
http://prn.fm/2012/04/30/gary-null-show-043012/
The Gary Null Show – 04/30/12
with guest max keiser speaking of price propaganda, the only prices
we know.
.
http://geraldcelentechannel.blogspot.com/2012_04_29_archive.html
Webster Tarpley vs. Jonathan Kay on 911 Conspiracy
Historian and author Webster Tarpley explains the state sponsored false flag terrorism , This is an Excellent debate. So important for all of us Americans to? be able to access this information and be able to see what is happening here in America. Many Americans are blinded by the fear propaganda that the Neo-Cons have created. Wake up Americans and see how you are being used; We are giving away our country, our belief in God, and our freedom! Mass Media should be ashamed of themselves. They are suppose to be the watchmen on the wall. But they have sold out to the neocons too! You won't hear truth from Fox, or other mainstream media. They are too busy pushing propaganda for the Treacherous terrorists who have over taken the White? House.
happiness is money but money is not happiness.
there ya go.
I guess that altruism pays off in many ways. Like, research has shown that chimps do nice things
because they think it will get them laid. Like Chris Rock says, guys have always tried to
give something to women: "do you want some dick?"
However, I don't trust charities. They tend to spend fools' money on renting office towers,
and jets and shmoozing politicians.
If anybody gives me the line 'give, it will make you feel better'
I'll just tell them "I should be getting money, not giving it. I'm in danger of sleeping on the
street", and that's not far from the truth. I'd then say "there's a miserable, old rich f%&ker,
two streets down and third on your right. Go make him happy." or whatever.
It does make me mildly happy to give about 30 pence when a begger looks genuine enough.
Then I tell them "good luck", and I don't often see them again.
How many times have you heard stories of bums who were eating out of the dumpsters actually had
millions in the bank. That, my friends, is rich man's paranoia, a recognised condition, I think. I wish that
on all those bankers who are hoarding our money after having lost all their fake money.
RHCP: giveitaway, now!
This is so not Aynus Rand. The "altruism is evil" crazy bag lady. f^&^&k her, anyway.
Life will give you whatever you ask of it. WHAT are you asking for?
Are you bring a thimble (instead of a bathtub!) to the well of plenty?
OK everyone get in a circle and pass the 1 ounce gold AE to the person left of you. There, now don't you fell better?
exchanging bacteria is good for the immune system.
herd immunity helps evolve a hardy species.
Also a good TED talk about money.
Dan Ariely "On Our Buggy Moral Code"
"Money can't buy happiness - but it helps you look for it in a lot more places" - Milton Burle
As well as Kilo of Gold.
Psst, psst...hey buddy, wanna good deal on a kilo..
over here...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUISSE-999-9-PURE-GOLD-1-KILO-BAR-32-15oz-W-CERT-/140746325158?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20c5227ca6#ht_1386wt_1398
Hmmm
The greatest gift one can make, is to give back to those less fortunate, but always anonymously, that of which pure altruism cannot deny your doings?
Even if you are enabling them? Lots of less fortunate drug addicted people out there. you need to tune into "intervention" sometime.
oh brother, wtf... lot of rich drug addicts too. Your point? Your point is to give, its to give. You seemingly cant wrap your head around that can you?
feel free to enable all you want. again check out intervention. just giving for the sake of giving does not necessarily help.
Ayn Rand does not approve.
That really depends. Ayn Rand advocated living for ones values. If you give money to someone or something you value then it would be considered moral by Ayn Rand On the other hand giving money to something or someone you do not value would be immoral. Kind of tough to disagree with that but I am guessing somehow you will.
Ayn Rand, really? complete idiot, COMPLETE IDIOT.
Perfect response coming from you. let the ad hominens begin.
She has a lot of good stuff to say on how happiness is achieved through reason, purpose and self esteem.
Guessing by your lack of logic and reason you probably should check her out and take the time to read her stuff not just regurgetate and name call.
the issuance of money in the fiat regime has become
the structural mechanism to continue the old system
of monarchy with the advantages of title being the
functional equivalent of "money". the title of lord,
prince, king etc... indicating proximity to the god
head proffered the advantage to declare sovereign
rights. so there were revolutions and sovereignty was
otherwise codified and legalized but soon usurped by
banking, birth of mercantilism and globalization, now
debased by systemic fraud of the accounting and shadow,
off book/on reputation (title of imitation control of
the sovereign, god head) kind.
as they say it is good to be the king. (access to the issuer
of fiat legal tender or one of those primary dealers)
victoria secrets offers coupons for $12 underwear, women's, so
one can walk in and hand over the coupon and walk out with an
underwear. they call it a pair of under ware but it is just one
garment that partially covers the cheeks but all of the chooch.
so this is how they play. happiness is derived by certain parties
but not all parties experience this dynamic in the same way or light.
i don't know what this means but this is the way it is.
Happiness is not a place, its not a state of being, its a transient emotion , like the sweet smell from a flower. It cant be captured, it can only be temporarily experienced and appreciated for that small amount of time. People waste their lives chasing something that cant be obtained.
"can't be obtained by me" would be much more accurate.
Try reason, purpose and self esteem. It makes your life better and leads to happiness, a permament non-contradictory state of joy.
If purpose does not include alleviating suffering, is the World really improving?
Money gives freedom and freedom leads to happiness. It also provides a feeling of security. When you have enough you realize you need to help those around you. It is not a bad thing.
I have it on good authority that happiness is buying the dip. And we are all about to enter nirvana.