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Economic Values
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| Yes | 22% | 2 votes | Total: 9 votes | |
| No | 78% | 7 votes |
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Add to FavoritesThere's an old saying that goes, "the best things in life are free." This statement has many valid points to it, but the reality is that money can buy the things in life that make you happy. Blue skies are free to everyone and a cool breeze in summer usually doesn't cost a dime and definitely these things makes one happy. On the other hand, blue skies and cool breezes on the beach in Aruba make one even happier, especially when you live in Chicago in the 20 degree wintertime. That definitely costs money to be that happy.
There's another lyric to an old Beatle's song that goes something like this, "can't buy me love." Yes, I agree that you can't buy love but you can sure attract a lot of people who will love you quite nicely, if you have lots of money.
We humans are programmed to hunt, eat and breed. This is the very thing in life that makes us happy. We can do these things so much easier in this day and time with cash in the bank.
Let's imagine that we are on the hunt for a new mate. Having a new mate will be the epitome of happiness in our lives. One must have the correct tools to capture, so to speak the attention of said new mate. You need nice clothes ($$). A new car looks good on just about anyone ($$$) and of course a great place to stay ($$$$). All these tools that you need to capture your mate require cash, dollar bills, big head hundreds, call it what you wish, but you need money.
In the old days, way long ago, even before color television, people actually went hunting for their food. The best hunters, the ones who brought home the groceries had the best tools and/or skills. These tools and skills didn't come free, they cost money. Old Jeb wanted some gold coins to teach you how to avoid that bear while hunting for deer. Modern days find us at the grocery stores, supercenters and restaurants getting our share of the edible delights. We all know that costs money and lots of it. Eating certainly makes us happy and keeps us alive.
We have fulfilled two of our programming with money being the central force in getting us what we need. Now on to the breeding part. You have attracted that new mate with money and fed them and now you say the breeding part is free. No way, new mate just isn't in the mood to make babies unless you can prove you are a good provider and can support that brood. You better have a good job or some inheritance that signals, guess what - money in the bank, "cha ching." Now we are happy. We have come full circle and gotten all we want and need out of life.
I don't mean to sound callous and imply that people can be bought. We don't need to look at it as money buying happiness and love. We just need to think of it as money is the means by which we acquire the things in life that makes us happy. I don't think anyone with a dime or two would argue with that.
Learn more about this author, Barbara Combs Williams.
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No
I have been fortunate enough to gain the acquaintances of many people. These have ranged from families in extreme poverty that had to scrimp, scavenge, and save; to those that literally did nothing and money poured into their highly advantaged bank accounts. I have learned many lessons from these varying financial statuses and the most important lesson, that consequently has changed my life, is that it is not the money that makes happiness it is the person's decision if he wants to be happy. I have met poor people that are happy as well as rich people that are happy. On the other end of the spectrum I have met some poor people that are just as addicted to money as some rich people.
Personally I have been in the red with my checking account overdrawn, and I have been well into the black enough not to worry about money. I have been happy at both points. I believe that it wasn't my financial status but my attitude that controlled my emotions. People have the ultimate decision to be happy or not. Hard times come when there is money and when there isn't but we always have the choice of how we will react.
There are the people that point to the rich and say; they may have everything they want, but at least I'm happy and not addicted to money. Then they go and work seventy hour weeks to earn enough to barely cover their bills. When people think of the connection between misery and money, they try to just point it at the rich and cast them as the bad guys. In reality, anyone who has a money addiction is the villain. The high class CEO who spends too many hours away from his loved ones all in the name of the adding more zeros to his paycheck is no better than the janitor that works two jobs spending just as much time away from his family. Both are addicted to money, but it is more popular to blame the rich man for the world's problems.
True happiness and its connection to money comes from a balance of making what one needs to comfortably be with one's friends and family and not starve. Some can do that with a forty hour work week, others do that by buying assets such as rental properties, stocks, and businesses that pay for them to have that time and security.
Learn more about this author, Tyson Abaroa.
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