I have found this to be untrue, money is VERY NECESSARY

STESS steals quite a bit of happiness, and not having ENOUGH of the resources and necessities of life causes a lot of stress

money is resources, and resources makes it easier to alleviate stress,,, and increase happiness

No, don't get me wrong mate. I didn't say that I've got loads of money in the bank and all that I said was that I live comfortably and don't have any financial problems.

You may well have more money than I do but I don't care about that. I've got enough to live comfortably enough and I don't own a fancy car or house or motorcycle but I don't drive these days anyway and am happy enough just renting my home. I guess that it's only fair to say though that my parents are getting on and they will leave me something as my inheritence and that I'm thinking about keeping the family home, instead of selling it to get money that I would have to share with my brother and sister and I've got that to fall back upon, as well as a regular income.

As far as the looks and personality goes, it's true that I rely upon those when it comes to getting girlfriends. I used to be insecure about those things but am not anymore and am done with complaining about women being interested in other men that I think that I'm better than and blaming other people for it.

Women are attracted to confidence they say. I don't worry about women not thinking that I'm good looking and I don't worry about them not liking my personality. I'm not insecure about that and they either fancy me or they don't. It's got nothing at all to do with how much money I have.

Money could be nice...
lol

Money would make anyone happy, for a short time. But you wouldn't be consistently happy as having all that cash would become the norm. Most of your old problems would return, and you would have a few different problems like, keeping your money. You'd be surprised how many people who come into large sums of money end up with less than they had prior to receiving it. That being said...

It would be nice if money weren't an issue.

Dude, some of us here aren't obsessed about money because we have something that is better and eternal.

The joy that I have doesn't come from money or anything material possessions. My joy is the result of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Even those members who aren't Christians have discovered that excess money isn't a key to happiness. TawtStrat, for example, enjoys life without having excess money. Nothing you say or believe will change that fact.

Nice thought but what if the one you loved needed medical attention or drugs that would keep them alive? You can love them all you want but that won't cure them as medical care/drugs are not free. Wouldn't it be nice to have the money to save their life? Sorry; I don't mean to take away the romantic dream you have but I am just being practical.

Well said.

Well, that just seems to put it back to buying someone's love.

Supposing though that you met them before you had the money. I guess that you would do everything in your power for that person. You didn't already have the money and didn't buy them that way but if you love them and need it to pay for them to get a brain operation you will do what you can to get it.

The alternative is to not date women that say that they need money for a brain operation, or any other scam. There's a National Health Service in this country thankfully and this issue has never come up.

I try to be pragmatic about it. Don't need to pay for brain operations and can't afford to anyway. Am prepared to date women with medical conditions but don't tell them that I will pay for that. Maybe the OP should date women with medical insurance.

The OP presents a false dilemma, in that it assumes something about the source of happiness that isn't necessarily true.

It is one thing to use money to take care of our physical needs.
It is another thing to use money in an attempt to buy happiness.

As I and TawtStrat have pointed out, happiness can be obtained without having excess wealth.

I didn't see any delimma

except for the generalization about 'most of us'

I thought the op was right on with an OPINION

that not having to worry about money would make life much more LIVABLE,,,,

It does. I don't worry about money, although I'm far from having a lot of it and I think that it makes my life more livable.

I could say that it's the simple things in life that really matter and the envious people are the ones that want to live like millionaires or celebrities. I wouldn't envy this guy if he won the lottery. He would still be who he is and I would still be myself and not caring if some people think that they are better than me because they have money, or needing that to validate my existence.

People like to go on about charity and being useful to other people. That's their trip but I don't feel like I need to do that in order to be a worthwhile human being. I chucked a coin at a begger in the street the other day and I wasn't looking for thanks, or even acknowledgement.

There is a false dilemma if you say that not needing to worry about money would be nice when what Dodo_David actually said was that you don't need excess money to make you happy. What counts as "excess" depends on what your needs are but nobody actually needs to be a millionaire, unless they feel inadequate and need money to bolster their self esteem. This OP says that he wants a younger woman but can't get one. I guess that he sees money as a means to an end and envies millionaires that live like playboys. Personally, I don't and even though you could argue that a woman could be attracted to a rich and powerful man not just because he has money but because he worked for it and went out and got what he wanted, that's not really the same thing as just wishing that you had money for the sake of it.

Sorry, but I find all of this whining about not having loads of money or not being able to get a younger woman rather tedious. I don't think that people find it attractive and I do know that from personal experience because I've been a whiner myself. I found that once you stop with the whining and just try to make the best of yourself things happen for you. It's like that beggar in the street. I don't know if that person was really homeless, or what the circumstances were that led her to being there but I know that it doesn't have to be that way and you don't have to live like that.

whose whining?

so,,, having money wont help anyone at all huh? and its irritating for people to even talk about imagining about how nice it might be if they didn't have to worry about being able to meet their needs and ALSO afford their wants,,???,

I don't understand the leap of judgment, as usual


I could say it would be nice not to live with the pain of an ulcer and someone would say,,thats a false dilemma

, having good health doesn't guarantee happiness....lol

where someone reads the latter assumption into the former,, has me at a loss,,,

its simply being stated that the no longer having the stress of where you are going to find the RESOURCES for your needs and wants,,would be nice

how does that get turned into some judgmental argument, beats me

I think the argument lies in the OP's supposition that having "enough money to do anything and everything you want" would equate to happiness. "Try to wipe the smile off my face!" I think he said.

Money surely can alleviate the stresses we incur without it, but to think that having enough to not worry will cease your worries, that's just ridiculous. If you were loaded, you'd worry about what to do with all your money. Who gets how much? What do you want or need and if there's no limit to what you can get, what value does anything have?

Having enough money to survive, to meet BASIC needs is one thing. Swimming in dough is quite another. I don't want an excess of anything, including money! Call me ignorant or stupid but I've been on both sides and I can honestly tell you that the grass is always greener on the other side until you get there.

Moderation is the key in my opinion. I want enough to meet my needs and perhaps some frivolous wants occasionally, but that's all. Anything else is just greed and selfishness.

Funny, I know people who make $1M + annually. They are far from having the perfect life. They have issues on the family front, and get just as stressed about most things in life just like the rest of us.

My grandfather (on my mother's side) has typically had very little. There were no birthday gifts growing up for my aunts and uncles, and my grandfather hand-built his own house while working 1 full time and 2 part time jobs. However, the family I come from is very close. In fact we all live on the same street pretty much (grandparents aunts, uncles, cousins after they've grown up). I see much more happiness and satisfaction from my grandparents than I do the family mentioned above.

Point is, there is little to no correlation between volume of money and happiness. Perhaps happiness is an attitude that comes from within (which creates and attracts other happy people), thereby making it almost a personal choice rather than the ability to purchase a jet ski or luxurious vacation.

I wholehearted agree with this and believe it was stated extremely well. Thanks Drivinmenutz!

Perfectly stated!

Similar story. My daughter was given up for adoption to a great family at birth. I didn't know how wealthy they were although I knew they were professionals and 'well off', so to speak. Turns out she had the life that this guy wishes for, anything she could ever want, did the jet setting all over the world, grew up in the $35 million penthouse on 5th Ave with homes in Paris, country home in NY, and houseboat in Cali. Best of everything!! Just rich beyond words.

You know she wishes that she had grown up like my son having me for a single mother in a close knit loving family that lacked the luxuries and extravagance. She was 19 and didn't know how to make her own doctor's appt! Rosa, the nanny, had catered to her every whim most of her life. When her wealthy parents couldn't handle her (apple doesn't fall far from the tree apparently! ), they shipped her off to boarding school. She felt abandoned and unloved as they were out gallavanting around the globe spending all their money. When she learned of her adoption and met her brother and I, she was extremely jealous of our lifestyle if you can believe that!

Just goes to show that having money beyond your wildest imagination doesn't guarantee you happiness. There are things that money can't buy that are more important than the things that money can buy. I'd rather have those things instead. And so would my daughter.

Beyond survival level, it isn't the amount of money a person has that determines their happiness or unhappiness but the amount they think they need.

"Champagne tastes and beer income" summarizes the attitude of many people. Our consumer / entertainment / advertising society contributes to the disparity.

Those with "Beer tastes and beer income" can be just as happy as the champagne crowd.

Most people fail to distinguish between needs and wants. Needs are simple while wants are unlimited.

Well said. My step dad just under went life threatening cancer surgery besides caring for him my elderly mother must still work hard to pay the bills its very taxing on her. I wish I had the money to ease her troubles and worries about everyday things they need to survive.As far as the thread goes it would be fun to experience some things without worrying about the price tag. However I would take health and happiness over wealth for sure.

great posts, both of them.

monetary happy as described: Aristotle; later christen writers; as an external happiness.
(eg. I eat the food,I feel happy,but its short lived.

blessedness: would be another type,
like the happiness one would get from feeling needed,raising children or supporting and giving
advice here on mingles or being supported.
even this one may not last or be a constant
as the satisfaction comes from others.

generally happiness: would be the most satisfying
Good health,stability,structure,good friends,
Perhaps a life partner,if you desire. secure purpose,perhaps for many would be excepting their
god into their life.

Yes you need some money but I don't go kou kou
over coco puffs anymore either.
its another pain killer that stops working in time
so then you will learn there is alternative methods
to 'relief'.

Money can't buy happiness but it can buy you a nice car to go looking for it.....