if money buys happiness, why is it that most wealthy people seem unhappy or unfulfilled? especially the ones that pursued wealth on the precept that money equaled happiness/security? seen way too many people to give validity to that claim.
money buys "things" and "experiences". having money can put one in a position that one who does not have money can experience. like someone else pointed out in an earlier debate about this. better health care, better nutritional opportunities, etc. but bigger, faster, prettier "things" breed a false sense of security as well.
in my mind "money equals security" is an oxy-moron. not when there are certain scenario's in life where no amount of money can make a difference. like in health issues. i have a medical condition that for all the research that i have done, no amount of money will be able to bail me out of. "money" is not the barrier that is keeping me from getting better. they are many things that can happen circumstancial wise in your life where the thought that money equals security can be quickly eroded in an instant. no matter how much one has there are certian things that you and i are not in control of. within that context, amounts of money mean squat.
alot of it boils down to what a person measures in life as far as "success". for me money isn't even close to being the barometer in life. heck if that was the case i would have been a beaten man a long time ago. because of my health, money has been scarce. my life got turned upside down without any forewarning. in one day my life changed and i have been living paycheck to paycheck for 12 years. on the brink of being homeless several times. i can guarantee you that not once have i lost what made me "happy". my happiness was never predicated on what i did or didn't have. it was based (for me) on the knowledge that God loved me and promised to take care of me. that above that he allowed the difficulty of the circumstances to come near my home. that knowledge allows me the luxury of living above any circumstance. that amounts of money are only a function of my life, they are NOT my life.
most people that are in here that have been around while have witnessed my happiness. despite my "lack" , there are not too many people in this world that are happier than me. that is a direct result of my attitude. i will strive to change what i can, and trust God for the rest and therein lies MY "happiness". given my explanation of where my happiness is derived, when i win, "more" money isn't going to make my happiness go up. it will actually stay the same. my foundation doesn't fluctuate and that is the true measurement of happiness.
"a mans life does not consist in the abundance of the things in which he possess" luke 12 : 15
i was happy before i had it, will be happy during "it" and i will be happy after it's long gone.
different people have different measuring sticks in life. for some, more money equals more happiness/security. but for me no amount of money can equal what i already have.
before i sound like a self-righteous pig, i know i sure won't mind being on the other side of the finacial "coin". i will defininetly have alot of fun. but i already realize that it will only be a neccessary function of my life, it will not be my life.
if you ask me, more money = more happiness=more security is a falsehood.
havingvisionisagazilliontimesmorevaluablethananyamountof$$$$$$$