by Andreea M.

Created on: June 15, 2007

I think that the choice should be thought from (at least) two points of view: "How happy it can make me" and "How much can I count on it/How long will I have it".

Looks: They should really come last from both points of view. First of all they're perishable to say the least, only five years (or even less in some drastic cases) making a huge difference. As for how happy it can make one... let's say not that much. Just think about it. Pretend you have the most beautiful boyfriend /girlfriend in the whole wide world. You're awfully proud with him or her and you cannot stop admiring their gorgeous looks. But what next? What will be after a month of a year? Even the most beautiful sight gets common after a while. So if the remaining characteristics cannot make you happy, beauty in itself never will.

Money: They're less perishable than beauty, that's for sure. But they aren't very permanent either (not that they never are permanent, of course, there are so many people with inherited fortunes that it's very clear that's not the case). There are all sorts of things that can happen (remember 1929?) that can leave one as penniless as can be. As for happiness, it is very true that a person with a lot of money has a lot less trouble than a one with less (no cares for the bills, the vacations, the children's wishes and so on). But... the best things in life cannot be bought. On the contrary being rich sort of separates you from them (for example relationships are a bit harder to achieve, both because you can attract all sorts of money-interested people while scaring away the normal ones or simply because you are surrounded with a certain type of people, some very superficial, and keeping your feet on the ground can become quite a feat).

Character: That is by far the most important of the three. Not only because you can truly count on it (once you found a person with character it'll always stay that way). But also because it's practically the only thing that actually does help a person through adversity. If you had say a really important health issue (or any other really important issue you may think of) beauty cannot help you, money will probably partially help you, but character will go all the way.

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