Yes, there is an optimal point for each thing in the world. Money can not be an exception.
Below the point, money gives us valid happiness.
Above the point, it gives us valid happiness less and less, or even suffering more and more.
The point is determined by our instincts, that is, by our ancestors’ successful experiences saved in our DNA.
The “valid happiness” is the feeling of things being a-step-better for keeping our DNA alive. The keeping our DNA alive is the goal of human life. Otherwise, humankind can not survive.
(See W. Ying, “Be Happy Validly!” page 3-4, CreateSpace, Amazon, 2012)
W. Yingof CA10:26PM July 06, 2012
Sea,
I could not have put that first sentence into better words.
Danof MD11:48AM May 01, 2012
They want it all
Many younger people of the “self absorbed” today generation are only following a tradition of “me” attitude or narcissism that they absorbed and learned from the legacy they inherited. Capitalism requires each and every generation to create bigger and better ideas, live more fabulous lifestyles and seek wealthier portfolios of houses, lands, cars servants. To blame this present younger generation for seeking wealth and the good life to the tenth degree is disingenuous.
All their adolescent years, they have heard from their parents and family members, “you must get a good college education”, so you can make tons of money and maybe you won’t have to live in this old run down “no opportunity” town or grow up and raise your kids in this gun and drug invested neighborhood. The little they do know about history is that great men, giants of industry and capitalism built the wealth of this country off the backs and sweat of hard working people like their parents.
Raised up in small neighborhoods they know of at least one kid’s family that has a doctor, lawyers or owns a business they hear them bragging about all the time. When they go in the grocery stores with their parents, they can recall ever since their childhood, looking through the magazine sections, saying and reading about their favorite teen idol, living in the life of luxury. Young girls idolize beauty, being beautiful and fanaticize having that super cute befriend or handsome husband.
Everywhere, they are bombarded with images of the rich and famous, having several fancy cars lining the driveways parked in front of gorgeous houses. Social advice columns and job coaches instruct them on dressing for success and constantly being “on top of their game” because competition for careers and jobs are tight amongst their peers, that no longer retiring generation and how it expects to get much worse competing in the global job market.
Growing up in the technological era, they are reminded that young icons like Bill Gates of Microsoft, Steve Jobs of Apple and now Mark Zuckerberg of Google were young struggling college kids starting their great companies in their own home basements. These same high-tech companies are fostering competition today for the best and brightest, hiring young ambitious future engineers and scientists, so they must get into the top schools, no matter how much debt they and their families will be drowning from in the future.
Today, more than ever in histories, their generation are witnessing the greatest concentration of wealth in the hands of the “one percent” who owns 90 percent of the worth in the country. Those that came before us could tell this “me, I want it all” generation a thing or two that is about the suffering and carnage that comes along with trying to reach the brass ring at the end of the rainbow.
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joel of AL 6:06AM October 10, 2012
Jerry Phillis of IN 6:50PM July 12, 2012
W. Ying of CA 10:26PM July 06, 2012
Dan of MD 11:48AM May 01, 2012
Sea of CA 8:19AM April 28, 2012