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0 pointsthe_mitsuhiko2d ago0 comments

Money can very much buy happiness. Most of the things that make you unhappy can be remedied with money. How much money you need to accomplish that depends though.

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8 comments · 4 top-level

sph2d ago· 4 in thread

> Most of the things that make you unhappy can be remedied with money

Nonsense. Most of the things that can be remedied with money are not the truly painful things of life either.

Will money save you from heartache? From the pain of losing a loved one? From being lonely? From having no respect from your peers? From losing your health to incurable cancer?

At that point, all money can do for one is make them even more pathetic.

Xirdus2d ago

More money absolutely does make it easier to have social life. It absolutely does make it easier to cure curable diseases as well as live the life to the fullest when you have incurable diseases. And increasing your wealth is strongly correlated with gaining respect of people who were born into similar backgrounds and socioeconomic conditions as you were.

More cynically, wealth makes it both easier to attract a romantic partner (fixes loneliness) and harder for them to later leave you (prevents heartache).

So, if you squint a little, money fixes 5 of the 5 listed problems.

throw12345678912d ago

I don’t agree with you. Most of the things you mention are the same level of pain and unhappiness regardless of if you have, or not have money. The one with the peers is misguided because with enough money maybe you don’t need your peers! Freedom of choice.

And money does certainly buy health in the US.

SoftTalker2d ago

Money won't cure pain and suffering (although it does make trial lawyers happy) but even there it can buy better care. But pretty much everything else in life is better and more enjoyable with more money. You can live in a nicer house, in a better neighborhood, with better schools, with better goods and services, with more things to do, etc. You can travel more, in a more comfortable style. You can support other projects, artists, charity, etc.

hnlmorg2d ago

I agree money doesn’t buy happiness, but money can go a long way to helping with those problems.

For example, money can pay for better medical care.

bryanlarsen2d ago

Unhappiness and happiness are surprisingly orthogonal. Removing unhappiness does not make you happy, it makes you not unhappy[1]. Being not unhappy is a requirement for happiness, but it's not sufficient.

1: not unhappy is weird phrasing. Substitute not sad or not angry or not hungry or whatever for your particular state of unhappiness.

cortesoft2d ago

The person you are replying to agrees that money can get rid of things that cause unhappiness. The point is that removing unhappiness is only part of what creates happiness, and money can’t buy the other part.

Mond_2d ago

> Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy less unhappiness

> Money can very much buy happiness. Most of the things that make you unhappy can be remedied with money

Was it too hard to read beyond the first comma?

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