This just in...Rich People are Happy (Duh!)

We’ve always heard that “money will not make you happy”

But what I’ve heard lately is that sure, the above may be true – “but the lack of it (money) will sure make you miserable”

All “studies” are not necessarily gospel. I heard of a study done in the U.S. a few years ago where $50k/year was about the cutoff line of $$$ w.r.t. happiness – i.e. people earning less than 50k did not seem as happy, but those earning over 50k did not seem much happier the more they earned over 50k.

I also read about a study dealing with depression. In that study it was found that the least depressed people are in Africa and most depressed are in Europe..

Personally, if I didn’t have $$$ to SC I would not only be unhappy; I might be suicidal :)

^I'm with you on that Papi

It's a helluva lot easier to be depressed and live in a mansion in Boca, than be a happy homeless person.

^amen motor

Money does not buy happiness but it does allow you to search for it in more interesting places.

I keep finding happiness between the legs of strippers. It takes $$$ for me to be there. Therefore money equals happiness for me.

^lol Gawker

Probably a moderate positive correlation.

I dunno about this. I've been poor. I've been rich. I've always been happy.

I will say this. Since I hit the big money I have had more spells of mind-numbing boredom than I ever did when I was building my wealth. My brief retirement was a trial of boredom for me.

Useful, challenging work, not money, makes me happiest of all.

Money might not make you happy but it can absolutely remove or lessen a lot of the problems that make people unhappy.

I've said it before "life is like a shit sandwich. The more bread you have, the less shit you have to eat".

"You Can Never Be Too Rich"

TRUE!

Money can't buy you happiness, but it buys you comfort which IMHO can lead to a degree of happiness.

Lack of money can cause a lot of unhappiness. But people who are rich or comfortable can also be unhappy. They can have poor health or bad personal relationships or dissatisfaction with their accomplishments. Remember Richard Cory:

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
'Good-morning,' and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich - yes, richer than a king -
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.

While I don't completely agree with it, I cannot 100% disagree. I say this because while money itself doesn't make one happy, with all the money a rich man can get, your free time goes WAAY up. You don't have to work hard, you can do vacation at your leisure, and there are NO worries of if you have enough money to buy groceries (or go out and eat). Of course, it can get boring or you have no one to have fun with or whatever other variables it causes for money itself to not make you happy.
On the otherhand, having no money, working too hard just to make ends meet and not knowing the meaning of the word Vacation (which is an average for working American citizens) can really make you miserable. You got to work for 50 years while the rich man only had to work for 20 (if that).

I think the better phrase would be smart working people are happiest.

"I think the better phrase would be smart working people are happiest"

I disagree.

"most depressed are in Europe.."


I'd be unhappy if I had to live in Europe too with the crooked dumbasses they have in charge. They are worse than the crooked dumbasses we have in charge!

Inconsistent with most recent studies that show there's a saturation effect beyond a "comfortable" income level. Maybe motorhead knows more about this dubious couple practicing the dismal science.