Some of my friends and relatives seem driven to do nothing more than amass as much money as they possibly can.
While having enough money to live a comfortable life is certainly important, I've never really sought to become a millionaire -- nor do I think I would want to be one.
I'm the furthest thing from flashy and materialistic. I'm a minimalist by nature, so I try my best to avoid accumulating junk -- hence the reason why I'm thinking about buying a condominium rather than the huge house with white picket fence so many envision as encapsulating the American Dream.
If I were to strike it rich, I'd think first about providing for my family, then helping the less fortunate. I've seen people who come from humble beginnings become wealthier and change dramatically, almost overnight. I think people who have a lot of money feel the impulse to show it, and Hollywood is partly to blame. You usually won't find the well-to-do settling for Toyota Corollas and Sears belts; they opt for the Ferraris and Michael Kors stuff.
Now, I'm not saying that being gaudy is a bad thing. After all, if you've earned your money by working hard, you have every right to show it. It's when people think they're above everyone else that I take issue with. I've met people throughout the years who come with a superiority complex, and they don't exactly apologize for it.
My view is that money can buy happiness only insofar as it allows you to live comfortably and still have enough to splurge on yourself and others every so often. But studies have shown that once you hit a certain yearly salary -- I believe it's roughly $75,000 -- the happiness derived from money starts to diminish.
We always have to remind ourselves that once we go, we can't take the money with us.
Luckily, we can be driven by a lot of things in our lives that may not even involve money. In my case, they would include:
For more on How to Understand People, please check out my other posts.
While having enough money to live a comfortable life is certainly important, I've never really sought to become a millionaire -- nor do I think I would want to be one.
I'm the furthest thing from flashy and materialistic. I'm a minimalist by nature, so I try my best to avoid accumulating junk -- hence the reason why I'm thinking about buying a condominium rather than the huge house with white picket fence so many envision as encapsulating the American Dream.
If I were to strike it rich, I'd think first about providing for my family, then helping the less fortunate. I've seen people who come from humble beginnings become wealthier and change dramatically, almost overnight. I think people who have a lot of money feel the impulse to show it, and Hollywood is partly to blame. You usually won't find the well-to-do settling for Toyota Corollas and Sears belts; they opt for the Ferraris and Michael Kors stuff.
Now, I'm not saying that being gaudy is a bad thing. After all, if you've earned your money by working hard, you have every right to show it. It's when people think they're above everyone else that I take issue with. I've met people throughout the years who come with a superiority complex, and they don't exactly apologize for it.
My view is that money can buy happiness only insofar as it allows you to live comfortably and still have enough to splurge on yourself and others every so often. But studies have shown that once you hit a certain yearly salary -- I believe it's roughly $75,000 -- the happiness derived from money starts to diminish.
We always have to remind ourselves that once we go, we can't take the money with us.
Luckily, we can be driven by a lot of things in our lives that may not even involve money. In my case, they would include:
- Family
- Animals
- Learning -- Who says that you can only learn while in school?
- Helping others, including the less fortunate (donations, etc.)
- Hobbies (reading and writing)
- Sex
- And more
Does money motivate you as much as other things?
For more on How to Understand People, please check out my other posts.
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