Dreams and youth slipping away, fuck life - Page 3

On July 06 2012 14:49 dongmydrum wrote:
There are two ways to become happy:
1. don't give crap about what people think, be happy where you are
2. do whatever it takes to get what you want

it will seem like option 1 is easier, but trust me. option 2 is a thousand times harder.
what do you think will be easier to do? becoming a monk, thus freeing yourself of all material and sexual desire,
or becoming a doctor/lawyer/banker or whatever profession that allows you to make more money than the average person?

On July 03 2012 10:47 Empyrean wrote:
There's more to life than money.

On July 06 2012 10:38 EngrishTeacher wrote:But at the same time I also firmly believe in the quote, "Money isn't everything; but without it you are nothing."

However, your upbringing and maybe genetics do decide your satisfaction line, so for some people it's quite a bit higher than others. Additionally, the country/environment, and to a certain extent your social circles, also influences just how much money directly translates into happiness.

For me, unfortunately, my upbringing and also the revoltingly materialistic environment that I live in (China) have put my comfort line quite a bit higher than others. I only make about 180 000 RMB, or just under 30K USD per year. With purchasing power parity considered, that gets raised to about 60K USD per year which still isn't much by my standards.

On July 06 2012 10:38 EngrishTeacher wrote:
Thanks for the replies, and wow I can't believe how most people here brush off money as something so trivial.

I understand that money isn't everything; I also want to love someone passionately who returns the affection, good health, and a happy family. But at the same time I also firmly believe in the quote, "Money isn't everything; but without it you are nothing."

I've discussed the issue of correlation between money and happiness many times with friends and mentors, and the general consensus is that the main variables/factors are the amount of money in question, personal upbringing (satisfaction line), and how important money is in the culture/environment that you live in.

How much money you make PERFECTLY correlates with your happiness when you make under a certain amount. This amount of course differs between different countries and cultures, but the fact is, by my very rough and biased estimate (although accuracy here isn't the main concern as I'm merely trying to convey my point), if you make under 20K per year in the U.S./Canada you probably aren't going to be terribly happy, so from $0 - $~30 000 yearly every additional dollar pretty much linearly increases your happiness.

Once you reach the "comfort line", or satisfaction line" as I'd like to put it ($~30 000/year), I agree that for a good portion of the population every additional dollar decreases in importance exponentially. I'll clarify this point in graphical form.



However, your upbringing and maybe genetics do decide your satisfaction line, so for some people it's quite a bit higher than others. Additionally, the country/environment, and to a certain extent your social circles, also influences just how much money directly translates into happiness.

For me, unfortunately, my upbringing and also the revoltingly materialistic environment that I live in (China) have put my comfort line quite a bit higher than others. I only make about 180 000 RMB, or just under 30K USD per year. With purchasing power parity considered, that gets raised to about 60K USD per year which still isn't much by my standards.

Moreover, as I posted in the this guy's girl blog http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=350652 , I am also going through a tough time due to the fact that I am absolutely in LOVE with someone who probably doesn't love me back. My thoughts spontaneously jump to her at least a few dozen times a day, and I'm tortured by the fact that she's also my co-worker and good friend so telling her how I really feel is a complicated and delicate matter. We spend at least 50 hours a week sitting 2 feet away from each other so awkward fuckups are something that I try my best to avoid. The main issue here though, is surely again, that I just don't have enough bills in my wallet. She's a really good person with a HUGE heart, but her education and upbringing has shaped her to want someone older who can provide her with a more comfortable lifestyle. I guess what I'm trying to say is, although money can't directly buy you love, it creates endless possibilities for initiating new relationships and security for maintaining existing ones.


I haven't quit my job yet but I've been drowning myself in data (econ and finance major boohoo) for the past few days trying to find out if I'd make it in the jade market. Fueled by a lot of Beethoven and Rachmaninoff mixing in a little bit of Eminem, it's time to get down.


In the words of Eminem,

Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?