Does having a lot of money actually make you happy?

amother

Rainbow ↓

Today at 9:06 am

I think this quote is the biggest conspiracy of all times.

Society pushes this message but it's so far from the truth. Dysfunction multiplies with poverty. Struggles are way harder when you don't have money.

Marriage is harder in poverty, raising a reg family is gut wrenching when every dollar is counted.

Money softens the blow if every one if life's challenges. Money improves quality of life by far. Things like therapy, tutoring etc are only an option with money

I've been through times of extreme deprivation and times of bh plentiful. You can't compare know much more lack of money amplifies every little challenge.

amother

↑ Rainbow ↓

Today at 9:10 am

mha3484 wrote:

I used to say yes but at this point in my life I know too many wealthy people with deep personal challenges money can never solve.

It's fine, poor ppl have the same dark issues minus the beautiful facade.

I hate when ppl say this, it's baloney

Tell me which bigger problem a rich man has than his very poor neighbor. That he's depressed? That his wife is wicked? At least he had a great name and ppl consider him wise cuz of his riches. A poor man with a wicked wife or low moods is double dead.

I know of a rich guy that had a lousy uncool son. His money bought the boy a great wardrobe, got him in to best yeshiva, got a great shidduch, he hired bucharim to come dance at the wedding to cover up for lack of friends. Tell me how the same boy would end up in a poor home.

Rich kids start life a mile into the race

amother

Nemesia

Today at 9:13 am

I think the answer if it depends for whom.
How healthy of a person are you. Is your ego tied up to your money? It’s a bout middos and emunah and personality.
It can be very stressful keeping up with the Jonses and there can be shalom bayis issues making decisions . For example. which second house to buy where, finding the best decorated ect.
Also you get tons of fake friends and that is hard to deal with knowing who really cares for you.

blima1

Today at 9:15 am

someone I respect always says that many times rich people just have "bigger" money problems
like I might be worrying about being able to afford basics but he is up at night about how his million dollar deal is going to work out
so can still have a lot of stress
but I don't know if I agree with it!
also I always think of how it helps you deal with problems like if 2 people are very sick the rich one can afford more cleaning help around the house, babysitting etc and yes they are still sick but they don't have that stress off on top of it

↑ chanatron1000 ↓

Today at 9:19 am

amother Rainbow wrote:

I think this quote is the biggest conspiracy of all times.

I think it's a quote for wealthy people. If your needs are already provided for, then it's a waste of time to continue pursuing more, and instead you should use your time to enjoy what you have. As opposed to putting in all your time in your job as CEO to earn more millions and never getting to see your family.

For everyone else, money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy level one, a great deal of level two, and even a little bit of level three of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

amother

↑ Stoneblue

Today at 9:51 am

Or look at it from the reverse, you have someone poor & miserable. Will adding money make them happy? No, it won't. It will solve a lot of problems though.

From a billionaires perspective, who has endless money, but they are not happy, as most aren't. Does money make you happy? No, honestly they aren't happy.

Poor person who is happy because despite the financial woes they have all the important stuff. Will money make you happy? No, we already are but we will sure enjoy it and sleep better at night.

Rich person who is happy because of the relationships, meaning, etc in their life and financial success. Will money make you happy? I already am and if I had to lose one thing that's important they would chose to lose the money first because they can work hard to build it again.

Money solves financial stress, that brings happiness same as buying a new washing machine, it gets used to and doesn't bring happiness after a little while. Relationships, meaning, health are like a vacation. That stays with you forever.

Money is great but bringing happiness is a correlation, not a causation.

↑ mha3484

Today at 9:54 am

amother Rainbow wrote:

Off the top of my head:

Loss of a child
Loss of a spouse
Substance issues
Severely disabled children
Major health issues

Maybe my experiences are just unusual but I know more people with those issues with money then without.

amother

↑ Cerulean ↓

Today at 9:59 am

Money doesn't bring happiness but it definitely eases the way

Everyone says about all the stuff rich people suffer from. The thing is poor people suffer from the same things but don't have the money to solve around it

Child suffering? Money can pay for the expensive education, therapy for the siblings

Marriage in crisis? Money can pay for qualified therapists, for dates and vacations

Stage IV cancer? Yes, money can't heal. But money can allow the children the therapy and care they need, money can allow the spouse to care for the sick person and not to be forced to work 18 hours a day not to lose the house.

Rehab costs a fortune.

Yes, there are unhappy rich people. But at least they can cover the necessities so they're not unhappy AND hungry

amother

↑ Cerulean ↓

Today at 10:03 am

mha3484 wrote:

I don't think statistically there are more rich people who deal with the above than poor people.

But rich people have the resources to deal around it- therapy, rehab, take care of the surviving family, etc.
Poor people have to just muddle through the issue without anything to alleviate.

Are there any statistics that more rich people suffer than poor?

amother

Jade

Today at 10:06 am

blima1 wrote:

I wish everyone had such problems but as someone who had been poor and wealthy and now back to the middle I can say that when I was poor I truly could not comprehend wealthy peoples problems . I truly did not understand why someone would be full of anxiety over extra money they don't know where to invest, I truly did not understand why the wealthy don't give money they don't need anyway to some of the so worthy causes etc. I truly did not understand how someone who could easily retire and live the rest of his life in wealth and luxury could get so worked up over an investment that failed, over "only" making a million dollars this year etc. Having been wealthy for a short period now I do understand. And yes it hurts.

I still wish those were the "problems" everyone was dealing with.

justforfun87

Today at 10:13 am

I always write this but the three wealthiest woman I know are the most miserable woman I know too. I don't know people's finances but they live the most publicly lavish lives but are very negative and nasty. They are always looking over their shoulders and putting people down. Are they happy? NO.

Do I think that money helps with the day to day life? Of course it does. It makes life a whole heck of a lot easier not neccesarily happier. Happiness comes from within.

amother

Brass ↓

Today at 10:14 am

OddoneOut1 wrote:

Having money takes away financial stress.

If financial stress is the one thing that is making you unhappy and life is peaches otherwise- having money will make you happy.

If you have money but have many other challenges, you might not be happy.

If you have money with other challenges, but know that G-d is running the world perfectly, you can still be happy

If you don't have money but believe that Hashem is guiding the world and everything that happens is best for you- you can still be happy.

You forgot something important.
If you have challenges and have money you can afford to deal with them. There are so many threads on how expensive therapists are. Therapists have every right to charge for the work they do but life is so much easier when you can afford one. When someone is dealing with a medical condition, it’s wonderful to be able to afford good health insurance and good healthcare. Every struggle and every load becomes lighter when you have the money to deal with it effectively. That doesn’t mean rich people never die, but imagine the pain of a person in the US dealing with the death of a family member who wanted to be buried israel and they can’t afford to make that happen. If they somehow manage it, then afterwards they can never visit the kever because they can’t afford the trip. Even in death, money is helpful.

amother

Geranium

Today at 10:29 am

amother Sage wrote:

There have been many threads on this.

Having been in a situation where I was up at 3 AM worrying about the mortgage and now being in a situation in which I can afford to buy anything I need - within reason of course I can definitely say that money made me "happier"

Of course no human being is going to have a life that has no challenges - some worse than others. And there are some challenges that even all the money in the world won't change - like the death of a child.

However, for the most part money can make things easier when things go bad. If you have cancer (for example) you don't have to worry about the cost of all of the things that are necessary to make your life easier as well as being able to afford the best medical treatment.

I agree with this. Having money definitely increases shalom bayis and alleviates stressors in life. If someone is sick, either physically or emotionally, they have the financial resources to access the best care possible without worrying about how to come up with the money. Whether navigating infertility, cancer, or depression, they can explore every treatment option available.

As for me, I have a host of emotional and physical illnesses. During the periods in my life when I don’t have to fret about every dollar I spend, it definitely relaxes me and makes me feel more content. It won't completely take away my depression, anxiety, sadness, or other issues, but it helps me be in my best frame of mind.

giftedmom ↓

Today at 10:30 am

justforfun87 wrote:

It’s a choice. You don’t HAVE to be miserable because you’re publicly rich. Some of the richest women I personally know are sweet, kind, and totally normal.

amother

Apple

Today at 10:54 am

Happy is a temperament. There are happy poor and happy rich. But I can guarantee you this, every poor person, happy or not, wishes he could be rich. No rich person, happy or not, wishes he was poor.
Bottom line, money might not turn your life into constant rays of sunshine and flowery meadows, but having it is certainly preferable to not.

amother

↑ Sage

Today at 10:55 am

I think people want to believe that rich people are more miserable but the ones I know or even the people who are extremely well off are not more miserable or unhappy.

I don’t know anyone who has millions of money who worries about making even more money to the point of unhappiness. If they do want to make more money it is because they enjoy the process of making good investments rather than being unhappy about it.

It is almost as if this is propaganda being fed to poor people so they don’t feel even worse.

Poor people lose spouses and children and often because they are poor and can’t afford medical care or nutritious foods.

I can’t think of a hardship that rich people have that is unique to being rich. LOL