Happiness Vs Money

[freckleswin]

When you die, will you measure your life by how much money you made, or by how happy you were?

I pose this question to my fellow waygookers.  ;)

My opinion is, when you start pouring  15 hour days into what your interest is, the world around you seems to bend to adhere to your interest.  But if you do something that is safe, sure, you get used to it, and it is tolerable, but how long can and will you do this.   

[JahRhythm]

Money
Who cares if I toil away year after year, doing a job I hate that crushes my soul if when it's all said and done I got that paper!!!

Dir.
You know what everyones gonna say already.

[nickster13]

Ballsy! I like it! However, I of course disagree. I can do it short term, but if you ask me the same question after about 1 year id say no.

[justanotherwaygook]

I won't be thinking anything when I die, because I'll be dead.

[leejs]

I'd say happiness. However money is absolutely necessary to accomplish that. Money may not equal happiness, but poverty definitely doesn't equal happiness.

[Jrong]

Happiness, of course. Happiness is the reason I came to Korea -- I especially enjoy the music here:

[mpark28]

I would say happiness as well, but you can't be happy all the time, that would be boring! As long as I'm working in a job where I'm content and which provides money enough to keep me alive and exploring my interests outside of work then that's good enough for me!

[sunshinefiasco]

I'd say happiness. However money is absolutely necessary to accomplish that. Money may not equal happiness, but poverty definitely doesn't equal happiness.

We need to get you to a party in South America.

[Paul]

If you're young and fresh out of uni I'd say chase the money hard for at least a couple of years. Reason is that it gives you something to fall back on and without that you'll lack the ability to take the risks that will make you truly happy.

[Jrong]

I'd say happiness. However money is absolutely necessary to accomplish that. Money may not equal happiness, but poverty definitely doesn't equal happiness.

We need to get you to a party in South America.

Bueno, you know we have a good time in SA parties but still, once the party stops people go back to "real" life thinking about how to feed their family or care for their sick child and that ain't happiness.

[ingrid28]

"A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor—such is my idea of happiness." - Leo Tolstoy, Family Happiness

[dahknee]

I would say happiness as well, but you can't be happy all the time, that would be boring!

Being happy all the time is boring?  :o I don't know about you, but it's pretty fun being happy all the time.

[marsavalanche]

Barring married couples, NO ONE and I mean NO ONE in all my years of Korea was in Korea for the sake of living here.

There's one reason and one reason alone that keeps teachers here: money.

Barring married couples, EVERYONE I've met in Korea would leave in a heartbeat if countries like Thailand, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, et al offered the same salary, benefits, savings potential, et al.

Get your debts paid off / reach your arbitrary million won goal and go out and enjoy life.  If you consider Korean culture the peninsula of paradise, knock yourself out (although since I've never met any of those types--I doubt it).

[Jrong]

Bill Maher talks about happiness (go to 3:40 or watch the whole thing for laughs) in the context of political systems.

[Cereal]

Barring married couples, NO ONE and I mean NO ONE in all my years of Korea was in Korea for the sake of living here.

There's one reason and one reason alone that keeps teachers here: money.

Barring married couples, EVERYONE I've met in Korea would leave in a heartbeat if countries like Thailand, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, et al offered the same salary, benefits, savings potential, et al.

Get your debts paid off / reach your arbitrary million won goal and go out and enjoy life.  If you consider Korean culture the peninsula of paradise, knock yourself out (although since I've never met any of those types--I doubt it).

I agree with this 100%.

As to the OP's question, I have been on both sides of the fence. I've eaten in soup kitchens, been on welfare and had houses, one that would knock your socks off. I've had really crappy jobs, no job and really good jobs.

I've known very poor people and very wealthy people. I believe happiness comes from within and I really believe money can't buy it. It can buy things and comfort but they don't always translate into happiness although they always seem to help, at least for awhile.

So for me, happiness without question.

[wtoddm]

If you're young and fresh out of uni I'd say chase the money hard for at least a couple of years. Reason is that it gives you something to fall back on and without that you'll lack the ability to take the risks that will make you truly happy.

AMEN!

[matieu]

I'll just leave this quote from the Dalai Lama : The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered "Man.... Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."

[Jrong]

I'll just leave this quote from the Dalai Lama : The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered "Man.... Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money (because in the case of most people around the world he has to just to survive). Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health (because the government he "elects" doesn't provide him with basic securities like food and healthcare). And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived (thank you, capitalism)."

I edited/clarified your quote above.

[freckleswin]

I think we're going to figure out happiness,  ;)

[Jayne]

Happiness.