how satisfied/happy are you with your life?

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
I was way happier when I was poorer and younger (=healthier) than now richer and older.

But maybe you would have been even happier if you were younger/healthier and had money on top of it.

Of course, having lots of money while being young typically means it came from inheritance and was not self-earned, which means lack of real appreciation for it, and often leads to some troubles.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
I know that you were joking, but money doesn't buy you happiness for sure.


Queue the obligatory come-back: "have you seen a sad person on a yacht, ever??" Ha ha.

 

[Mykl]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
I know that you were joking, but money doesn't buy you happiness for sure. I was way happier when I was poorer and younger (=healthier) than now richer and older.


I don't know man, money can buy a jet-ski. Have you ever seen a sad person on a jet-ski?

 

[hattaresguy]

I really can't complain especially after seeing some third world slums last winter and people who really do have nothing, not even hope.

My problems in this country are dream problems for them. IE what kind of new truck I want next year, or what boat I'm going to upgrade to, or how many townhouse projects I want to take on next year.

Life's good, sometimes you need to just sit back and appreciate what you have.

 

[Drew99GT]

I've always been a glass is half empty (or is there even a glass?) kind of person, so I'll always be about a 5 I suppose. I will say that money does bring me happiness in that it allows me to participate in activities I normally wouldn't be able to engage in regularly, but if I was loaded, I doubt I'd be any happier. In fact, the more "stuff" I accumulate, the less happy I get!

A man needs a women, a shower, a sandwich, beer, and a bed.

 

[SteveSRT8]

My life began around 40. Prior to that it would have been a 6.

Today it is a solid 10 due to massive change that started late.

3 kids grown and self sufficient, wonderful young and beautiful Wife, prosperous biz, good health. Sometimes I feel a bit unworthy!

I am very thankful...

 

[supton]

I'd give it a 7. Nothing really wrong with it, but I spend too much time analyzing decisions I made, past present and future. It's a good life by most standards, but never as good as it would be, if I were to just make better decisions.

 

[Schmoe]

Hmmm.....I'd probably go with a 7. Just too much unknown varibles out there. But, it is what it is. Can't really complain about anything, just don't like aging. Turning 50 this year made me think about things and realizing I got to stop thinking like a 20 year old and get on down the road and accept things.

 

[wander2039]

10.5... everyone in the house is healthy and the bill's are paid. Could be richer, have a bigger house, newer cars and a younger woman.. but I did that then my wife would have all the above! Yeah I'll stick with 10.5.

 

[MinamiKotaro]

About a 6, which is probably as happy/content as I'll ever get. I've struggled with depression all my life. It's been about two years since I've seriously considered blowing my brains out, so I'll take that 6 and like it.

 

[Cujet]

From an objective point of view, I'd give a 9.5 out of 10. I'm happily married, I like my job, have more stuff than I could ever want, I have a great family and good friends. I have nothing substantial to complain about.

From an emotional point of view, 6.5 out of 10. I'm overworked, I come home late, work every weekend and don't have time to play anymore. I'm getting older and I've missed nearly 15 years of vacations, personal travel and my plans and dreams have been discarded. That's my fault too.

 

[01rangerxl]

Probably like a 6 or 7 so far, but it's largely my own fault. I could have been a lot better off than I am had I been smart and done things in moderation. Learned a lot of hard lessons that cost me a lot of time, effort, money, and other things.

That said, I can't really complain. I've always had food, a roof over my head, and a working truck in the driveway. I do recognize things could be WAY worse for me, but it's also frustrating knowing that my life could have been much better had I stayed out of trouble and been a little less impulsive.

 

[xfactor9]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
Originally Posted By: xfactor9


For me I'd say 9 out of 10. What would make it a 10 would be more money... at least $10MM more.

I know that you were joking, but money doesn't buy you happiness for sure. I was way happier when I was poorer and younger (=healthier) than now richer and older.


Actually I wasn't joking at all. I'm very pleased with my life, but for it to become a "10", I would need at least $10MM more.

Money may not make you absolutely happy, but it makes you MORE happy than you would be if you had no money. If you don't believe this, then send me your money.....

....that's what I thought

 

[Artem]

Those whole "money doesn't buy happiness" line is bogus! It all depends on how you spend it and who you spend it with!

Take this for example... You donate $100 to a orphan children's home. That $100 buys them all a gift for Christmas. They couldn't be happier at that moment! Now what brought them that happiness? The toy, which was bought with your MONEY!

I'd be A LOT happier if I was driving around in a Ferrari vs a Civic. I'd be A LOT happier if I was living in a huge mansion on the beach vs a little shack in the ghetto with a 40 minute drive in bumper to bumper traffic in order to get to the beach.

I'd be A LOT happier if I could take a vacation and travel to Paris, Hawaii, etc and stay at the finest hotels and eat at the finest restaurants vs traveling to another state and staying at Motel 6!

See my point?

 

[Artem]

I'd rate myself a 3 or 4. There's a bunch of stuff that I'm unhappy with in my life.

I'm too lazy to get off my rear end and hit the gym to get that six pack I promised the wife when we got married.

I'm not making the kind of MONEY that I want to be making in order to live happier.

I'm not driving a Lambo.

I don't have time for the finer things in life because I spend a lot of time reading posts on BITOG and changing my oil more often then I should.

I'm not where I wanted to be at this age and time in my life. I'm way behind and need to accomplish things on my to-do list.

 

[andrewg]

I'd have to say that my life is about a 5 or 6. Sure, I have 'up' moments that are a bit higher, but not so much that I'd give it a higher overall number than a 6. I've made so many poor decisions in my life as well as carrying a lot of guilt. I was always too worried about certain risks and/or a morbid fear of failure. I wish I had taken better care of my body and not abused it with too much hard exercise. Because of that I can't do many of the brisk activities I used to enjoy (running, hiking, biking, basketball, etc.). I've been married far more than once and lost much financially as well as emotionally from those divorces. I had no children....so at times I wonder if that would have made life more significant. I blew my time in the Army like a young fool instead of applying myself and making a great career out of it. I am fortunate enough now though to get paid a good wage and earn more money than many folks with a much higher education. And my girlfriend (that sounds so juvenile "girlfriend") is really a wonderful lady. She accepts me very nicely....faults and all. I am trying DAILY to improve my life and figure out how to go from my current 6.....to at least an 8 or 9.
Maybe someday...

 

[daves87rs]

Not used to rating my life.


Good, as health, family, friends are all there. Just need a solid job (out of retail) making decent money to be perfect.


I'm a man that likes to keep things simple....

 

[JHZR2]

10 for sure. Have a wonderful wife who is supportive and who compliments me and who works together to create a life that is just wonderful for us and our baby. We have all of our parents, in loving, supportive relationships, neither side was ever divorced or created any kind of "broken" home. Good schooling, wife had her doctorate, and I just defended my dissertation. Good jobs, she is tops in her field and I am in mine, which has created opportunity. Live in a great area in a great state where everything we would ever want to do is nearby and accessible, including work, so we dont waste our life in the car. Good caring friends from all points in life, with many close enough that we can see them readily.

The only issue I have, which is temporary, is that while finishing up my PhD, I was very sleep-deprived, even started drinking coffee on occasion, and tended to overeat (being up until 3-5am each night usually meant food and drink to keep awake), and no real exercise for a number of months now... So Ive gained some weight and lived some unhealthy practices for the last few months, worse than usual working 40+ and then doing my research on nights and weekends... So goal #1 is to get back into shape, even if not what I was when I graduated college (I was an athlete in college so was kept pretty trim and muscular).

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: Artem
See my point?


You're really only considering a small portion of the "lots of money" life. If achieved by one's own means, having lots of money usually involves working very long hours, missing one's family (or not having a family), becoming a slave to your work, etc. If achieved by inheritance or lottery, lots of money often gets drained because that level of fiscal responsibility was never developed, and poor choices are often made.

I use Martha Stewart perhaps as a funny example, but look at how unhappy that person is. She has more money than she could possibly spend, yet she was quoted in the news recently as being unhappy because she doesn't have a man. Obviously, there could be many reasons for that, but it's an example, perhaps a common one, of having a lot of material things, but nothing to fill your heart or your soul.

Something else that happens to "rich" people is they often become known for their money and not for their person. That is, people sometimes don't see them as "people" anymore. They see them as a bag of cash, and there's no reward in that. Really, there isn't.

It often does appear that money buys happiness. But the adage that it doesn't hasn't been around for ages because it's not true. It's more often than not very true. And I'm not saying that wealthy people aren't happy. Many are. But it doesn't come from their wealth.

Originally Posted By: Artem
Take this for example... You donate $100 to a orphan children's home. That $100 buys them all a gift for Christmas. They couldn't be happier at that moment! Now what brought them that happiness? The toy, which was bought with your MONEY!


Look at it from another perspective: yours. You gave $100 away to buy toys for kids at Christmas. If you could be there at the tree when they opened those presents and could see their faces light up, your heart would be filled with so much joy, such profound and pure happiness, that you couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. The warmth in your heart would be great. If this has never happened to you before (experiencing joy from giving), I encourage you to try it. And I don't at all mean that as a judgemental statement, even if it may come across that way. Seriously, I have found the joy and satisfaction of giving and volunteering to be so much greater than any material thing anyone could give me.

And that joy didn't come from having more money. To the contrary, that joy came from having less money.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: Artem


I'd be A LOT happier if I was driving around in a Ferrari vs a Civic. I'd be A LOT happier if I was living in a huge mansion on the beach vs a little shack in the ghetto with a 40 minute drive in bumper to bumper traffic in order to get to the beach.

I'd be A LOT happier if I could take a vacation and travel to Paris, Hawaii, etc and stay at the finest hotels and eat at the finest restaurants vs traveling to another state and staying at Motel 6!

See my point?


You THINK you would be much happier, and probably you would be somewhat happier, but maybe for the first week or month. These things get old quickly.

Many studies debunked the myth that money buys you happiness.

Happiness comes from your personality, health, low stress, spiritual and family life. These things cost little to achieve.

Big money means usually high stress and no time for spiritual and family life.

Case in point: people are happiest in Denmark. Not exactly rich country and sky high taxes.