What is Real Wealth? We've been measuring happiness in all the wrong ways

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:




What is Real Wealth?
We've been measuring happiness in all the wrong ways. What's the pathway to true quality of life?

by John Robbins
posted Aug 31, 2010


When I was 21, I told my father that I didn’t want to work with him any longer at the ice cream company he co-founded, Baskin-Robbins, and I didn’t want to depend on his financial achievements. I did not want to have a trust fund or any other access to or dependence on his money. I wanted to discover and live my own values, and I knew that I wasn’t strong enough to do that if I remained tethered, even a little, to my father’s fortune.

I left Baskin-Robbins and the money my father had made selling ice cream because I didn’t want to live a life of affluence based on a product that could harm people’s health. I also recoiled at the idea of inheriting a life of privilege while so many others had to struggle for their basic livelihood.

I didn’t take the steps I did because I thought money is bad. On the contrary, I believe money is good and important. Without it, it’s impossible to thrive in the modern world and difficult even to survive. But money isn’t a god. It’s something to use. Not something to crave or to worship, and certainly not something that should rule our lives.

There seem to be two schools of thought about the relationship between money and happiness: On the one hand, there are those who say money isn’t that important. “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love,” writes Maya Angelou. “Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”

In her camp is the environmental advocate John Muir, who once said that he was better off than the billionaire E. H. Harriman. “I have all the money I want,” Muir explained, “and he hasn’t.” ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/what-is-real-wealth

[bulloney]

1. I wish more people from affluent families had Mr. Robbins' mindset.

I know too many people who were born on third base and they think they hit a triple, to borrow a line from the late Ann Richards.

The people I'm talking about had a parent or grandparent who succeeded at something that made them a lot of money and passed that wealth down to their heirs. The heirs never had to worry about the consequences of losing a job, paying for their or their college education or their children's, always could do what they want, when they want. And they think that people who could not live like that had something wrong with them.

With so much time and money on their hands, they had to come up with ways to make money faster and easier. In many cases, they do it by attacking regulations and safety net policies that may add to THEIR cost of doing business or attempting to lower their tax obligations and pass it on to those who don't have as much money.

That's the mess the U.S. is in right now.

[cachukis]

2. A great read.

[bherrera]

3. Real wealth is having good teeth and living close to work

I think there is a good line to draw. Real wealth means being healthy and having somebody nice to have sex with. I call this having good teeth. Anything else is superfluous. I like having some superfluous things, for example I like buying books and have the space to put them in bookshelves. And I do like to travel, but in the end, the best thing is to get up in the morning, see the sun, and have a good breakfast with the family before taking a short trip in the tram to go to work.