Want to Be Rich? Don’t Get Too Happy

re: Want to Be Rich? Don’t Get Too Happy

jilleryingram — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:53:10 GMT

HOW MUCH IS GAS WHERE YOU LIVE?

re: Want to Be Rich? Don’t Get Too Happy

Denise54 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:15:32 GMT

I think that many people who are truly happy are not wealthy because they're always sharing what they have with others.

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

Xen — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:58:27 GMT

Someone's happiness relies very little on the material world. I guess it's just that in our society, people are raised on the aspect of getting a good job etc etc..which supposedly leads to happiness.

Happiness can be synthesized, the mind is very flexible.

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

jizn — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:34:30 GMT

Religion, spiritualy, etc are the umbrella which people use to help themselvs to get through life. It is a shelter, wall behind their back, cave ,or ,however you want to call it ,save place which keep people from going insane. And I don't see anything harmful coming from it as long as they keep it to themselves. All these will add happiness to the lives of the believes.

However, we live in material world, we created money, we created dependence on money. There are no things (material things which support life at basic physiological level) which are available for free, unless someone is living in the wild in the remote location and support himself by hunting and gathering.

The availability (as well as quality ) of shelter over your head, food on your table, clothing on your body, use of instruments ( cars, tvs, kitchen appliances and other achievements of civilization), health support directly depends on money.

People do have choice in attitude. It depends on relationship between expectations and reality. People are unhappy if there is a conflict when reality does not meet expectations. There are million reasons why that is: objective and subjective. Everyone should look at their lives and try to figure out why they unhappy, see what expectations are not met and why, find a way to adjust to real situation or improve it. Unfortunately, a lot of people have a tendency to lie not only to others , but to themselves too. You got to be honest and "brutal" in this honesty. It is a very difficult evaluation of yourself and your life, but once it done, there will be change in atittude and there will be more happiness added. Knowledge of a problem is half of the solution of the problem.

For those who are depressed: to aviod depression span during the process of self-evaluation do it with trully good friend ( which is a very rear commodity in our days) or therapist (cost money, again!).

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

Graeae — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:33:12 GMT

That's okay! I'd take happy over rich any day!

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

Saryanavat — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:31:01 GMT

Happiness is fleeting. It comes and goes. For me, I'd rather experience unchanging peace and joy. The spontaneous job that bubbles over from experience the expansive peace within - is far greater than happiness. As for money? I haven't been the smartest in handling my money - I used to keep giving it away and did not save any. So I am a senior citizen living on my pension. But its amazing how I don't need a lot of money anyway. I have dreamed of going on a lovely vacation - I've been on many and had a great time in the warmth of the sun on a beach. I wouldn't deny anybody that but when I'[m esting in the present moment and experience the stillness within, I don't have to go anywhere. its all right here now. How did I achieve that? The Ishayas' Ascension - a meditation - and its the greatest gift I've ever given myself. Peace!

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

dmaag_203 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:05:32 GMT

HeatherM, it is hard to explain to people who do not believe how Christians can have such peace in the midst of the storms. There will be a day when the storms do cease, but in the meantime, there is a definite presence of God in the lives of those who believe and trust in Him. Mere words cannot explain this, but it is very real. In the meantime, true Christians (not in name only) strive to live peacably, help others, take care of our bodies and all of God's creation that he has blessed us with and share His love. Taking it or leaving it is also a choice. But one cannot rightly judge what one does not understand. And it has nothing to do with organized "religion". If you honestly tried it, you would see. "If you seek Me, you will find Me". I hope you do.

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

Charlie.S.S. — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:37:34 GMT

the girl with the money is lookin' good

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

Salud — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:31:31 GMT

If happiness is a state of bliss or fulfillment it is right that too much of it would not make you strive for money, because why would you strive if you are already where you want to be. But if you aren't totally happy and strive for money to get the happiness you are missing, there are 2 options: either you get happy and then will stop striving, or you don't and will find out later in life that all the money you got cannot make you happy. So, this leads to an aporia, or impasse, which we can only sort out by means of our values and priorities.

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

infinitesymmetry — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:03:25 GMT

Health is necessary for happiness, but without money, there is no health.

www.immortalhair.org

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

CrowSnake — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:42:28 GMT

How these subjects get to God is amazing. He has nothing to do with our health or happness. If he exsist he gives us free will, to choose, he gives us a body, somtimes it is healthy and sometimes it is not. He gives us the choices to choose to take care of it or not. If he gives us enough brains, then we will make better choices. Wait.. then what about the people who did not have a choice. Their parents choose to breed even though they were stupid, or had bad genes.. Well God must be really mean to the poor souls that he puts in the bodies of the stupid people who bred, or ones he puts in a geneticly diseased body. It is all about free will I guess. We have the free will to choose to take care of our bodies. The free will to he happy, unless he made us stupid and we can not read to learn to take care of our bodies.

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

TWS500 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:17:45 GMT

My goals in order of priority:

Worshiping God. Following God's word. Thanking God for the many extraordinary blessings He has provided. I then try to lead a good life. All of these goals leads to happiness. I am rich beyond measure, not in $$$ although I have enough, but in blessings.

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

paragonx — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:19:12 GMT

Money helps you to arrive at your problems in style.

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

paragonx — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:11:54 GMT

When you're in the throes of depression, the stupidest thing this Carol therapist said is: "You need to choose to be happy."

Hey Carol, why don;t you experience a major bout of depression and see if you can think your happy thoughts out of it.

There are things you can do to 'break your state'..take a walk, pet a dog, write in a journnal, etc..but the idea of choosing to be happy in midst of a major depression is just ludicrous. Dr. Mercola should hve caught this before he allowed it to be printed.

re: Want to Be Rich? Don't Get Too Happy

Valentine — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:56:46 GMT

There's a basic problem with the argument behind this article:

"Those who rated their happiness a '10,' the top score, earned significantly less than those who put down 8 or 9. Those who were slightly less happy..."

Presumably, one's happiness is being measured on this self-report ten-point scale. That doesn't necessarily tell you anything about their actual level of happiness. It only tells you what they're willing to report. Even if we ignore error (such as the subject misunderstanding the instructions), there are at least two major potential problems in this respect:

(1) Subjects who report a "10" may do so because it's what they're REPORTING. For instance, people who believe in "The Secret" may be more inclined to report higher levels of happiness in the belief that doing so will encourage good things to enter their lives. There might also be a social factor involved between the test administrator and the subject (e.g. a man putting a "10" down for happiness as part of an attempt to hit on a female test administrator). This introduces a number of hidden variables.

(2) People who sincerely believe that they are the happiest they can possibly be may not actually BE happy. Enneagram personality type Seven (www.enneagraminstitute.com/TypeSeven.asp) depicts an entire category of people like this. Constant outward happiness can be a way of avoiding partially or entirely subconscious fears. However, those fears will still play a role in the decisions and actions of the individual in question even though he or she isn't aware of that influence. People using this strategy seem like they should be more likely to report perfect happiness than mostly perfect happiness. If their happiness were imperfect, they might be encouraged to think about what isn't perfect and therefore have to confront something uncomfortable.

It's certainly possible the study was careful about these aspects, but based on what I see here I wouldn't put much stock in the results.