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Forums - General Discussion - Why is the world obsessed with money?

rolltide101x said:

Money does not bring happiness on its own but it sure does help lol

Now that's something we can all agree on. 



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vivster said:

I didn't say all poor people are lazy. Some are just dumb and others just had bad luck.

 Why would a rich happy person be less happy than a poor happy person?

You say there is a limit but actually there is only a limit from a single standpoint. When you change your standpoint, the limit gets changed as well. It's human(and all life's) nature to become used to things and then strive for more. First you want your video games, then you want video games with more color, then you want it in 3D, then you want it in your pocket, then you want it high definition, then you want it online, then you want it cheaper. Even though at first you just wanted video games. The limit gets shifted forward the closer you get to it. That's why even insanely rich people strive for even more. Because they became used to their standard and saw potential to grow.

You shuldn't exclude yourself from this. You wouldn't consider anyone's happiness in the middle ages as happy as your life now. Because all the inconveniences would hinder your happiness. You are talking from just your standpoint and I am very sure that if you became rich you wouldn't give your money away to get back to where you were.

I guess I feel I don't need to be rich to be happy. There's only one thing I really want money for and that's to travel. I wouldn't feel the need to get lots of consumer goods just because I could etc.

And maybe it's natural to want better and more of whatever you like, but there's a point when it goes from genuine need to just alright greed. And maybe the strive for more in our nature is why i think the rich are likely to be less happy. Since they are used to more, they will naturally expect more and not appreciate what they have. If you expect anything out of life, you are bound to be more disappointed than not, while if you have little then you usually expect nothing and appreciate stuff when you get it. Maybe that's all there is to it.

And the thing with the rich is they can give at least 80% of their wealth away and they would still be rich. Even if you earnt £200,000 one year and only kept £40,000 you would still be pretty well off. Think how much someone like Bill Gates could give away and yet still remain a billionaire... At that point, they are just greedy. Also, alot of these ultra rich are hypocrites, they avoid their taxes like no tomorrow and yet happy bankroll corrupt politicians. It's just immoral to have so much to yourself when so many are in poverty, i would like to think if i got rich by chance i wouldn't become so selfish and greedy.     



Xbox One, PS4 and Switch (+ Many Retro Consoles)

'When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called the people's stick'- Mikhail Bakunin

Prediction: Switch will sell better than Wii U Lifetime Sales by Jan 1st 2018

Yeah money doesn't bring happiness. And no matter how much you have, you always want more. It also makes people greedy, arrogant, and selfish. I'd rather live a comfortable life with a decent income than be rich.



    

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I disagree, the more money I make at my job, the happier I am as it allows me to buy things that make me happy



Money can't buy happiness, but it can make it easier and more convenient.

Just don't let it corrupt you and find a partner that loves you for who you are and not your $$$ amount and you'll be fine.



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For different people money represents different things. Others just want to have a happy, good quality life with no worries of the economy and meanwhile the others seek the power that money gives.

This is a very interesting topic I must agree. What do you think the world would be like without money? Any speculations?



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Lumikki said:
For different people money represents different things. Others just want to have a happy, good quality life with no worries of the economy and meanwhile the others seek the power that money gives.

This is a very interesting topic I must agree. What do you think the world would be like without money? Any speculations?

Italics is pretty much the best short summary of the situation, yes...

Bolded... we would go back to bartering. Rob a stable instead of a bank, pay for your next smartphone with a few chickens and a housecat...

Most importantly, since this is a gaming forum, how much livestock is a PS4 worth?



the2real4mafol said:

It just seems to me that the world in general seems to think that money is the answer to all problems, that somehow being rich is key to making us happy. I don't get it to be honest. As long as you live a comfortable life and are happy doing what you do, then don't feel like you have to keep 'up with the Joneses', it really is just stupid. I'm not saying money is worthless, I just wonder why so many people think they would be happier if they lived the so called American dream. Not much point if you end up with no one to share it with.

Anyway to keep it simple i would rather be happy than neccessarilly go for the riches. Some sorta random thoughts but there we are.  


What's weird is... the bold IS the american dream.

So your premise is confusing at best.

As for why... ask Marx.  Most people tend to not care about how comfortable they are, and instead about how comfortable they are in relation to their neighbors.

You can see this by...

well in general your political perspectives and beliefs.


You are framing it a certain way, but in general your perspective as shown later on in this thread is ...  "Why do some people want all the money."

When the reality is... if you REALLY didn't care about money outside of being comfortable.... you wouldn't give a shit about how much money the rich have, and how much they want to have.

 

Additionally, generally the amount of money the rich have tends to have a positve correlation with more people living comfortably... as it is those peoples investments that drive the things that increase everybodies quality of life.

 

We have mass produced cars because Henry Ford wanted to be rich for example.



Lumikki said:
For different people money represents different things. Others just want to have a happy, good quality life with no worries of the economy and meanwhile the others seek the power that money gives.

This is a very interesting topic I must agree. What do you think the world would be like without money? Any speculations?


I generally think a world without money would be a pretty terrible place.

 

I mean, if we're talking a communist utopia "everyone gets the same as everybody else" anyway.    Nobody is really going to want to work.

 

I mean sure.  People will want to be sceintists, and starship captains and chefs and the like.   Like in star Trek.

 

But do you know what you don't see in star trek?  Garbage men.   The replicators just get rid of dishes.   Why?   Because nobody is going to want to do it without proper compensation.


Who would spend their time being a garbage man or dishwasher when they can try to be a muscian or game desginer?

 

Then you've just got the problem of resource allocation.  Because even "everyone gets the same amount" will have flaws... because there won't be an equal amount of everything... and talent totally matters.

 

Should I get allocated the same amount of recording time as Kanye West?  Well no, because nobody would want my shit.  That said though... how does anyone decide who does get recording time?

 

 



Xen said:
Lumikki said:
For different people money represents different things. Others just want to have a happy, good quality life with no worries of the economy and meanwhile the others seek the power that money gives.

This is a very interesting topic I must agree. What do you think the world would be like without money? Any speculations?

Italics is pretty much the best short summary of the situation, yes...

Bolded... we would go back to bartering. Rob a stable instead of a bank, pay for your next smartphone with a few chickens and a housecat...

Most importantly, since this is a gaming forum, how much livestock is a PS4 worth?

I actually think it's probably the other way around.

I think your average Cow is probably worth 2-3 PS4s.