When we feel happy? When we have a home, a car, clean and suitable clothes, enough foods, opportunity to travel, education and do charity activities and so on. All of them need money. In real life our efforts is just to earn more money to feel safety and support our life and family. Lack of money is a main resource of insecurity and worry.
I don’t live in poverty and luckily my economic level consider as middle class of community. But all of my dreams and problems would be accomplish and solve just by money then I surely feel more happiness so surely happiness needs money and wealth.
Some people tell happiness means enjoy drinking a cup of tea or sound of birds. In my opinion they are bullshits. A cup of tea is enjoyable near Niagara Falls or drinking in the corner of a room for years!!! Surely conditions are important.
Can you feel happiness in poor conditions?
Unfortunately I miss Graham to correct my texts. I hope he returns very soon.
Please correct my text. Thanks.
Charles Kingsley wrote "We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."
Psychologist Abraham Maslow proposed a "hierarchy of needs" in 1943. The Wikipedia article about it is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs
He proposed five levels:
1) Physiological needs: Air, food, water, clothing, shelter.
2) Safety needs: Freedom from violence, financial security.
3) Love and belonging: Friends and family.
4) Esteem needs: Respect of peers.
5) Self-actualization: Reaching the highest levels that are possible for you. (I can never think of "self-actualization" without thinking of a US Army recruiting slogan, "Be all you can be.")
Where does "happiness" lie? Somewhere at levels 3, 4, and 5. Certainly, it does not lie at levels 1 and 2. It is a bad joke to say you can be happy if you are starving or in constant danger.
Equally certainly, in a modern society money is needed to get past levels 1 and 2.
So, a certain base level of money is essential to happiness.
Once you are past level 2, money is much less important in getting to the higher levels. Wearing expensive clothing--or other visible signs that you are richer than your neighbors--may help you earn the respect of others. But it is not needed, nor is it enough all by itself.
May be I still a student ,I don't agree with your points.The reason is that I think different people have different attitude to face the life.Just like if there are one thousands readers,then there have one thousands Harry Poter.In fact,I have to admited that the life never greatas most people thoughts.In fact,it's terrible.But I always ask myself,why does people live,for what?Finally,I think that the meaning of life is that let you have some different experience.If someone used to feel love,sad,happy,proud,pain,then he is a real man.But what is happiness.I think it will change with time goes by.Of couses,if someone who have lots of money,then he has ability to live a better life.As you say,though someone have lots money they still can't find the happiness.There always some people who can get the things which we can't have easily.But we can fight to catch what we want.During this time,we may very busy and tired.But who care?When we struggle,we are happiness.I don't mean that money is useless,in fact,without money,we can't live.But I also want to say,there are more important things in the word.For example,the time with your family,the time with your friends or with your children.And also some moment which hold your breath.Some happinesses are in our memories.Though a man have too much money when he alive,he can't take them away when he death.In my opinion,when a person alive,he is lucky and happiness.All above are my opinions.
Thank you for your reading.
