Don’t Envy the Super-Rich, They Are Miserable.

[Blue_Tires]

The research on wealth and happiness is filled with contradictions. For ages, studies showed that more money didn’t bring more happiness and that happiness plateaued at a certain income or wealth level once certain needs were met.

Don’t worry. He might be unhappy.t more wealth did, in fact, make people more satisfied with their lives, even if they still had day-to-day frustrations. A new study co-funded by the Gates Foundation, however, portrays the ultrarich as lost souls burdened by the fears, worries and family distortions of too much money.

According to an article in The Atlantic, “the respondents turn out to be a generally dissatisfied lot, whose money has contributed to deep anxieties involving love, work, and family. Indeed, they are frequently dissatisfied even with their sizable fortunes. Most of them still do not consider themselves financially secure; for that, they say, they would require on average one-quarter more wealth than they currently possess.”

The respondents–120 people with a net worth of $25 million or more–were asked to write responses to certain questions. Here are some of their responses.

ON ENVYING WEALTH. “If we can get people just a little bit more informed, so they know that getting the $20 million or $200 million won’t necessarily bring them all that they’d hoped for, then maybe they’d concentrate instead on things that would make the world a better place and could help to make them truly happy.”

“I feel extremely lucky, but it’s hard to get other, nonwealthy people to believe it’s not more significant than that. … The novelty of money has worn off.”

ON WHY THE POOR SHOULD BE HAPPY: “Nobody has the excuse of ‘lack of money’ for not being at peace and living in integrity,” writes one survey respondent of his family, with a touch of bitterness. “If they choose to live otherwise, that’s their business.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2011/03/09/dont-envy-the-super-rich-they-are-miserable/

[luvspeas]

1. world's tiniest violin concerto....

:nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity: :nopity:

[cliffordu]

2. I'd like to rub some of that misery on me, I'll tell ya!

[Myrina]

3. I wouldn't want to have to spend all my time ...

worrying about
1. "who's trying to steal my money?"
2. "they only want to be around me because I'm rich and they want something"
3. "how can I make MORE money?"


Fuck that noise. I'd much rather just be financially secure (bills paid on time, and a little extra stashed somewhere) and not be constantly thinking about 'covering my assets'.

[Populist_Prole]

9. I'm with you. Nothing worse than a sore winner.

Living modestly and secure beats arrogant paranoia any day.

[BobbyBoring]

13. And you jnow what?

The few wealthy people I know worry about those things!

I also know more rich suicidal people than I do poor ones.

[Drale]

4. Why do you think they want to make the rest of us miserable?

[enough]

5. I don't care whether they are happy or sad. That's up to them. What matters is the damage they do

to society, the environment, and the economy.

[BeyondGeography]

6. So it makes no difference if their taxes return to reasonable levels

:thumbsup:

[Howler]

7. Not Miserable enough!!!!

They want to eat the WHOLE world and everyone,everthing up in it!
Its just SICK!!!

[no_hypocrisy]

8. I'm not envious. I just want my money back.

[Kennah]

10. Miserable what?

Miserable fucks?
Miserable bastards?
Miserable excuses for human beings?

[remember2000forever]

11. Our Modern World Has Bred Greed, Lust And Jealousy.

Our TV's blair shiny bright objects for sale which will make us happy. However, some of the poorest people, (in the material sense) that I know are the happiest. No, not Americans, but Out Island Bahamians. Not in Nassau, but way down in the family Islands. The Condos and Casinos have literally skipped over them. If you ever have the opportunity to really get on Island Time down there you will be amazed. By talking to a woman weaving a basket on the beach and watching her Son fish you will see complete contentment.
But Alas, we live in the US, don't we. And, ironically for us, "Paradise Ain't Cheap" unless we go completely Native.

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

12. If he is so unhappy,

then he should give the money away.

That way he can concentrate on things that would make the world a better place and could help to make him truly happy.

I am more than happy to take a little from his sizable fortune. ;-)

[sadbear]

14. Fuck'em

And I don't think anyone here envies them. (There is a difference between envying them and despising them.)

[irisblue]

20. yep

you said it, the poooor rich...awww

[caraher]

15. Awww, the ultra-rich are unhappy?

Response 1: I know how to cure your money problem...

Response 2: “Nobody has the excuse of ‘too much money’ for not being at peace and living in integrity. If they choose to live otherwise, that’s their business.”

Response 3: I think there's a selection effect here - it may take deeply disturbed individuals will do the things that make and keep you that rich and still sleep at night. (I actually read this as a reason for obscene executive pay - they're worth the money because it's hard to find sociopaths who are sufficiently willing go put profit ahead of people.) Maybe it serves them right if they're not satisfied with their lives?

[fasttense]

16. One thing they fail to touch on in this article is worthwhile occupation.

Most of the children of the very rich really have nothing to give or do. If they fail in school so what? They really don't need to be educated. If they are hopelessly inept in every occupation they attempt, well, so what?

Children born to the uber rich contribute nothing to the family and frequently nothing to society.

A poor or middle class child has chores that the family needs them to complete or the family wont eat, have clean dishes or clean clothes. A poor family needs the big brother to get the younger children ready, cook them a meal, drop them off at basketball practice. Children of the middle class and poor are integral to the functioning of the family. The rich kids, not so much.

There was a reality show that had families live in historically accurate middle class and poor 1900 or 1800 conditions. When the families finished, they interviewed the kids about their experiences. I'll never forget what 2 teenage girls of a very wealthy family said. They said they missed their chores and hard work and felt useless in their normal lives.

They were responsible for chores that fed the family in the reality show, but in their real lives they were bored. They could only shop for so long, they could swim in their huge pool but were bored with it. They could drive around and amuse themselves but they did not contribute anything important to their families. In the reality show, if they didn't milk the cows, they and their families had no milk to drink. If they failed to do their chores, their families suffered. The kids were proud when they completed chores expertly and regularly.

[bhikkhu]

21. That's a very good point

The way I look at it, everyone has about the same needs, and all of our food, housing, clothing, etc are provided for us by other people's labor. In return, we give our own labor to in some way serve other people's needs, and a healthy and happy society is one where everyone has their role to play.

The worst thing for a person is to be excluded, for whatever reason, and denied a role. Still having needs, they may live off the charity of others, but "getting everything free" is a source of misery and alienation rather than ease. Understanding that, providing for people should also be finding ways to include people.

The second worst thing for a person is to be so wealthy as to be "above" inclusion, consuming so much more than their share, and giving nothing in return. By choice and by design they make themselves parasites and damage the capacities of what might otherwise be a healthy and happy inclusive society...all the while imagining they are somehow doing the right thing, but devoured by an anxiety they try to ease by pursuing more and more wealth and possessions.

[damntexdem]

17. Well, I'm not going to cry for them, either.

Just don't have any tears left for them.

[supernova]

18. Not surprising

Being happy and content has more to do with choosing to focus appreciation on what you do have, rather than what you lack. And that can be done no matter your net worth. If you concentrate on what you lack you're always going to come up empty.

I'm not being dismissive of money pains. Sure it's better to have all your bills covered and some in the bank than not. I'm pretty threadbare right now, but I try to remember each day that I do have some great thngs in my life and I feel better.

If I had the kind of wealth as in the article, I'd try to focus more on the fun stuff that would make me happy like lots of travel, eating out, all the tech toys I could stand. Being able to do fun things with my family.

[27inCali]

19. if it really made them that miserably...

they'd be giving a lot more of it away, especially considering how many people are hurting and in desperate need. But they don't, so how much of it is bullshit and the whining of spoiled children?

hope they have fun trying to shove that camel through the eye of the needle.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

22. "...The novelty of money has worn off.”

:rofl:

come on. feel free to try the novelty of poverty.

[southernyankeebelle]

23. My nephew's ex girlfriend came from a very rich family. She was so unhappy. She

was seeing a counselor. Her dad was cheating on her mother and her mother new what was going on. It was a crazy family. She would often tell us she'd give everything up if she could have a happy family like mine. We were lower middle class but happy. I often thing about her. My nephew and her broke up and he is doing very well now and is married to a wonderful girl.

[checks-n-balances]

24. Not much consolation, but maybe they'll just end up in Hell

(Meaning, not much consolation for the poor and the rest of us...)

In the words of Jesus: "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" - Matthew 19:24

Also:
"Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.” ... 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-36, 40-43, 45-46 New Revised Standard Version)

[shireen]

25. geez, if i had 25 mil, i'd spend it on things that made me happy!

like helping others climb out of financial holes so they too have a shot at living a decent life!

I guess that explains why there are fewer rich progressives .....

[stevenleser]

26. I'd make it work somehow. ;-) n/t

[eridani]

27. Actually, money does buy happiness--up to about $70K/year

More than than adds nothing.

[raccoon]

28. Sounds like the horseshit I heard a lot growing up--that rich people are miserable

and poor people are deliriously happy. :puke:

[dthigpen4]

29. They are miserable. Yeah. So are a lot of other people too.

The point is, where do you find "happiness"? All this thread has demonstrated is that it isn't, at its core, found in money. That isn't trite. Money is nice and can relieve a lot of issues, but brings some of its own problems. Not having money can be rough, but also have some redeeming qualities. So where do you find happiness that isn't driven by how much money or stuff you own?