Happiness is hard to buy

F

FellingLonely

New member
I'm doing ok. I really am. Financially, emotionally, physically, in my relationship with my wife, with work. It's all going. Still, as always, I yearn for maybe a bit more. Maybe it's my area, me, something, but outside a very small group of people I know, everyone seems too damn busy with money.

They're making it, spending it, worrying over it, something! It never ends. Like that's all there is. Is it all there is for people? Am I truly such a freak?

My wife and I drove a short distance to a school she used to work at, recently closed down, and there were some trails in the back. We walked in the sun, laughed, and just enjoyed each other's company. It was simple, didn't require talking about work or the next big toy or bill. We just talked.

Why does money so control lives? Is it the new God, the greatest Religion?

Is there so little else to talk about? Is there so little else to do?

It's like there's a whole world of people living on a different world than I, but sharing the same space. It depresses me sometimes.
 
One fucker once told me Money does not make you happy but what a fucking inconvenience not having it. I guess is a necessary evil.

Is funny how even the riches are afraid of not having a dime.
 
it's my personal opinion that this is the result of the human brain operating in an environment that is far, far different than it was originally intended to operate in.

We are wired for survival and reproduction, and every one of our instincts exists to aid and abet those two things.

When you take an animal out of the wild and put it into abstract artificial constructs like our cultures, societies, jobs, cars, hobbies, grocery store trips, drugs, music, etc.... Our brains aren't naturally wired to properly deal with this stuff.

So what happens? Some people get inordinately fixated on non-essential things like money because our artificial, abstract construct of existence relies on it for survival. Money is the new food. In the past you'd be worried about food and shelter, today money is the facilitator of that, and thus our brains can very easily twist themselves into viewing money as a necessary commodity fors survival, because, in the mdoern world, it is. The thing is that we only need a certain amount of it. But because of the nature of survival insticts, logic doesn't always take precedence.

This is the reason for all of our ridiculous modern mental disorders too. Social Anxiety Disorder, OCD, Depression, all are the results of a brain wired for survival being forced into an environment where survival isnt really the primary concern. It has interesting side effects. Social Anxiety Disorder is just the false triggering of the fight or flight reflex. That's, essentially, what a panic attack is. Heightened adrenaline levels to increase our strength, speed, and awareness that our ancestors found beneficial for survival, thus that trait got passed down. Unfortunately cavemen with a hyperactive sense for this taht were overly cautious and easily spooked, they may have tended to survive more. But the end result is people like me having to fight off panic attacks before having to give a speech in class. My body is reacting as if I'm about to face a life and death situation, and it isn't despite the fact that I logically know that. The point is that these things manifest themselves in strange ways.

Sorry if it seems like babbling. I've got a cold and I'm doped up on some snooze-inducing sinus medicine. Im not sure if this will make any sense tomorrow... haha.
 
JLXC: this is so close to home for me.. you have no idea! i think you are RIGHT ON THE MONEY! way too much concern about having "things" that are (bought) with money all around all of us 24/7 i liked your idea of the walk/talk with your wife..:thumbsup:
 
Actually, I thought this was indeed the best answer thus far. Survival of the fittest in modern day society. Adaptation at it's finest.

I wonder how many people know what the name of the trees are nowadays and if they know the first thing about making a garden. When you loses basic knowledge on how to survive, I would think worrying about something is going to happen.
 
For at least the last four thousand years, humans have 'stressed' over resources and who has the most and how they can get more. This is true of the majority of clan based cultures and societies. For the at least the last two thousand years, humans have had banks and gold, and the accumulation of gold has been a founding principle of society and its ability to function. There are few points in our history---from early Sumerian culture to Alexander the Great to Napolean and the American Revolution that did not revolve around gold or money and the accumulation of it.

We are perfectly wired for greed and the accumulation of resources, that is how we have survived and flourished while other races of the earth have died off.
 
I always did admire the concept behind Star Trek's: Next Generation's "financial" way of doing things. Making things, giving people things and just doing your work to better yourself and the human race. Of course, that's a dream these days cause peopel do hold on to their money like it's a life-force.

If I may, that concept is similar to universal health and education. It just works if everyone is doing it. One person gets greedy or one company starts to try to gain a profit, and the whole thing falls apart. IT works so well when it's jsut the way things are. Unfortunately, the way things are now, money is life. Without it, you can't do anything including live. Even the homeless has to find some money in order to survive. The shelters give them free food only based on those that are willing to give. Money in that case is not involved, but if they wish to get anything such as a home or sadly enough, drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, they need to find some way of getting money. cause nothing in life is free. The trade market is an idea, but that's still some form of payment. You can only get something that's worth what you have to offer. That can fall apart. So we are back to money or just being kind and generous.

It really would be nice to just do something for another because it's the right thing to do and not have to have a profit off of it. Why do we have to live in a house based on the salaries we make. Why can't we just do our jobs because it's what we love and what we are good at. Because we need money to survive. In Star Trek, you get a house because there's one to live in that suits your needs. You ask for somethign cause you need it and someone is good at making it and loves making it for people. With that, that is the only way we truely can just focus on enjoying what the sun can give us. We can enjoy the birds as they sing for the world to hear. We can enjoy our children and watch them grow. We can go to bed feeling like we did something good for ourselves because we love our work and what we can do for each other.

It's good to dream. Do I have to wake up?
 
It is human nature to be greedy and not share your resources with others, at least not to the point where it would impact your lifestyle.

None of us live without the benefits of money that provide resources.
 
I don't think it's so much just human nature to be greedy. There's no need to be greedy when there's plenty to go around. We as humans have kicked ourselves in the crotch by insisting that the value of life is measured by the size of the wallet. The best in care, medicine, food quality, life quality is reserved for those with the most pieces of paper with pretty numbers on them. (All this shit for a pile of paper and some green paint?) Nowadays, a vast majority of the people are treating themselves to all the above mentioned ailments plus ulcers, strokes, heart attacks and addictions because they've gotten so afraid of not having stuff.
 
Amen brother.. money DON'T BUY HAPPINESS! i have seen more than a few sad unhappy RICH folks in my day. it is nice to have STUFF.. but.. don't forget.. there is much MORE to life than cash and BUYING STUFF!;)
 
My only point really DG is that I think that while I understand that money exists, and my need for it, that it is possible to have meaningful times and conversations that don't involve money. That to feel that your only point in life is to make more money, is missing the point of life.
 
Yeah...there is always a small, neurotic parade of folks around here that seem to feel the need to invent drama so that they can have something to be pissed about. Their material needs have been met so far beyond their dreams that they invent their own little soap operas.
 
Before there was money, people made it a point to gather or make items for trade for things that they were unable to gather or make themselves.

Of course it is not the only point in life, but in our capitalist global economy, if you do not work to make money then you are shit out of luck. Money is important because it has replaced our previous trade system as the currency of the realm, thus money is the only way you can keep a house, feed your kids, prepare for when you are old.

In our earliest history when there was not money, people did these things by working days on end all spring, summer, and fall to hoard and hold resources so they would have food, clothing, and heat during the winters.

It is human nature to hoard resources to prepare for winter.

That is how we survive. Currently, the only resource that will see your family through the "winter" (or, low resource period) is if you hoard money.

As a matter of fact, if more people hoarded money rather than spent it on ridiculous shit based on imaginary funds, we wouldn't be having the global credit crisis.
 
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