Understanding Money & the Meaning of Life These three questions are asked on a daily basis: how much is enough, why are people willing to risk everything they possess just to get more money, and if money is so alluring, how is it that many wealthy people so distressed and unhappy? Many wealthy people, or just people in general, aren’t necessarily satisfied with what they have so they will do anything in their power to get more money. Nobody really understands why someone would be willing to lose everything they have just for something even more. People will always, under any circumstance, want more than they already have. They won’t be thankful that they have a house over their heads, clothes on their back, food to eat, and extra money to …show more content…
They will always want to receive more than they already have. In Jacob Needleman’s book called Money and the Meaning of Life, he explains that money can either break or make relationships. “Money is about love and relationships… It has a wonderful power to bring people to bring people together as well as tear them apart. You can’t escape money. If you run from it, it will chase you and catch you. If we don’t understand our relationship to money in our culture, then I think we’re doomed. If you don’t know how you are toward money and really understand that relationship, you simply don’t know yourself. Period.” Money can be destructive but it can also be supportive at the same time. It can be destructive because people literally fight over money, and not just small fights. Gangs all around the world fight for money and there are cases where people actually get severely injured because of it. Money causes unrest, even divorces, in marriages when they go through a financial stage of low stability. While money is destructive, it can also be supportive at the same time. People can't buy groceries without money, they can't have electricity without paying a bill with money; basically all of the life essentials someone needs to live in a home are bought with money. There is a limit to money, but not everyone …show more content…
I had this aunt who I admired so much while I was growing up because of how caring she was and how she helped everyone out with money if needed. One day came and she completely turned herself around. She started to gamble, give her money away on useless things, bet her money money on unnecessary stuff, and started to buy drugs. I don't know what happened to her, but she came obsessed with money. When she bought drugs from her dealer, she started to sell drugs to people out of state so her dealer wouldn’t know. She did everything in her power to become rich and make money anyway possible. She completely ruined herself and the relationships she had. When my family and I were low on money, we asked my aunt to help out because we didn’t know she had changed for the worse. My aunt was like, “Yeah of course I’ll help out!” Turns out, she was out of state selling drugs so we could not reach her. We stopped talking to her because we just don’t need that type of negativity in our lives, her husband divorced her, her kids left her and she no longer had a house to live in because she couldn't afford it. To this day, we have no idea where she is and how she is doing. We tried contacting her to make sure she is okay but she never returned our calls. I've concluded from all this that the obsession for money makes you do crazy and stupid things. Money doesn't make you happy and never will. The more
A well-known expression is that money can’t buy happiness, yet people fantasize of winning the lottery, living in their dream house, and possessing enough tangible objects to feel satisfied with their lives. Most are under the preconceived notion that the absence of wealth and power translates to hardship and despair. This, however, is not the case, because a self-effacing lifestyle is not an indication of a lower quality of life, and often is better than one of great fortune. People yearn to have the financial independence and capabilities of those in higher ranking positions, and are willing to abandon their morals and own personal well-being if it means being successful. It seems that by reaching a level of wealth in which money is no longer
Wealth and fame are not necessities that are needed to be happy with life. Fame and wealth are very sought after, because many people think those things and happiness go hand and hand. People are often mislead by this theory, money can make a person happy but it can also ruin every relationship they have and it can kill any ounce of joy they have. Wealth can be an idol that blinds people to the truly important things in life. When people solely focus on money to make them happy, they become emotionally and physically exhausted.
People need money to live, and enough to buy the basic goods one needs to survive, but everybody wants more money. More money means an easier life. The more money one has, the more money one wants, as is shown in the story, "The Rocking Horse Winner" by D. H. Lawrence.
How does one earn the title of wealthy? Authors Dr. Thomas J. Stanley and Dr. William D. Danko have studied how people become wealthy for over twenty years. They have conducted research, written books, conducted seminars, and advised major corporations on whom the wealthy are and what are the characteristics of the affluent in America. The research for The Millionaire Next Door was comprised of personal, as well as focus group interviews, with more than 500 millionaires. A survey of 1,115 high net worth and/ or high income respondents was also compiled. The authors define the threshold for being wealthy as having a net worth of $1 million or more. This is one distinction that the authors make in comparison to what most Americans might perceive is the definition of wealth. As opposed to what most Americans in our society believe, a measure of an individual’s material possessions does not necessarily equate to being wealthy. According to the authors, wealth is what you accumulate and not what you spend. Based on the author’s definition of wealth, only 3.5% of American households meet their criteria for status as a millionaire. Of this small percentage, 95% of millionaires have a net worth between $1 million and $10 million. The authors chose to focus on this segment of millionaires because this level of wealth can be attained in one generation and by many Americans.
... desire for money and mindless consumerism. As Ben Franklin once said, “Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.” (brainyquote.com).
When average Americans struggle to put food on the table, many affluent people struggle to remain financially sound. Celebrities, politicians, lotto winners, and professional athletes receive millions of dollars in wages and payments, but somehow are unable retain their fortunes. According to the U.S. census bureau, the median family income in the United States is about 30,000 dollars annually; somehow some parents are able to feed their children and fund their children’s education. According to recent studies by CNN Money, the median cost of raising children to age eighteen was 241,080 dollars and that number does not even include the cost of a college education. The cost of a college education is continually on the rise and can go as high as 60,000 dollars a year for private universities. Many of the average family’s wages have remained stagnant while many costs such as: gas, healthcare, groceries, clothing and an education have risen at exponential rates. Unfortunately, many of society’s, wealthy believe they have limitless funds while many of them face charges of fraud and tax evasion. But what causes rich Americans to find the desire to self-indulge? Fame can place individuals with a heavy burden to become successful.
In this world the stereotypical thought is that the more money one has the better off they are, although they might look good from
This return us to the question of how much consideration you should give to money when making life choices to achieve the universal goal of happiness. And the answer is you should make choices that will give you enough money to live comfortably and allow you to focus on other factors that contribute to your happiness, such as interpersonal relationships and generosity towards others. And you should do this with the understanding that more money does not necessary result in happiness, although it does help, if spent in the right way.
It is highly debated, but ultimately incorrect. The closest correlation found on this topic was in a study conducted by Stanford, an Ivy League business school. With their findings, we can concur that the only way money can make someone truly happy, is by spending it in constructive ways to help others. With that, it is safe to say that if someone finds themselves unsatisfied with their live and wealth, that they could use it for the greater good. They should put it into charities, or as simple as buying a friend a meal. Whatever it may be, use the money for others. And that is really how money can buy
..., a person who earns $25,000 is happier than a person who makes $125,000 and an employee who makes $500,000 is only slightly happier than someone who makes $55,000. Lastly, there are more important things in life that and make you happy, for example, friends. They don’t come with a price tag, and if they do, you definitely need new friends. Money won’t make you happy since good times can’t be bought. You don’t need a fancy vacation to have a good time; it’s just a matter of who you spend it with. Over the years, humans have blown the value of money way out of proportion. People make it seem like if you’re not filthy rich, then you won’t live a good life but it’s not true. You can lack money and yet still live a perfect, happy life.
When none of us has ever come across such words and formulas, none of the great personalities has ever mentioned it, then who the hell has instilled it in our minds that money brings happiness. But among this debate one question still raises its head - What is happiness? Happiness is not actually leading a luxurious life but the luxury of living a life. Happiness is not actually about expanding your business, but it lies in expanding the horizons of life. Happiness is not having a meal in the most famous restaurant but to have it with your most beloved family. It does not lie in attending honorable parties but to attend a party with honor.
Money has become the first priority in peoples’ life. It has become the necessity for being success. Many believe that money is the only way to success. They work hard to earn a lot of money and to make their life more comfortable and easy. Once Bill Gates said, ”If you were born poor, that’s not your fault, but if you die poor that’s your fault.” So many people run after money throughout their life to become success. Some people also believe popularity as being success. People work hard throughout their life to become a renowned person in this world and believe they need to look rich in order to be
Money exists no place else but in our minds. Money is not gold or silver; it is not a bill, and not a credit card. Love of money is recognized evil it always has been and it always will. People want money for various reasons, for security, status; to be powerful and etc. “This is also known as materialism, which brings in its wake tension and unhappiness.” Evil arises when people are controlled by money and compare everything in terms of money. Desire to earn money is not the root of all evil; everybody needs money to fulfill their needs. The problem appears when our wants increase. Therefore, the want of money increases, and we start to have a desire of wanting more of it and are never satisfied. Desires should not be confused to be the root cause of
It seems only natural that happiness should flow from having more money. Even if they don’t admit it, people still behave as though it were true. More money means you can have what you want and do what you want. The house you dream of? It’s yours.
Saving money brings security for any future expenses. The earlier in life an individual begins to save, the better they will be set financially in the years to come. There are several reasons why it is important to save money. A few of these reasons are for emergencies, retirement, and simply for luxury spending. Having money will benefit each of these examples.