Our Obsession with Money..

Chiliagon

Prime Minister
May 16, 2010
2,116
3
38
Spruce Grove, Alberta
So people, why is our world so obsessed with the need for Money?

why have we as a Society over the passed Millenium or so always had to have Money run the world?

Like why is it so important for so many people out there to make as much as possible, and buy as much as possible and allow the money to rule their world? (yes I know that for many of us we need money to pay for our lives , our rent/mortgages.. bills)

Like people seem to think that more is better and being Rich is the way to be! we all try to make as much as we can but when you break it down thoroughly where does it get us?

If you were to look at typical families and compare them..

the Man or woman of the family who has the $100,000 + annual salaries a lot of the time have to work many many hours in order to earn that high salary!

meaning a lot of nights in the office, less time with their families and there tends to be problems where the Wife is not happy because she hardly sees her Husband..

We all know that in order to make the big bucks you have to make the big sacrifices!

sure you can have a job that doesn't exactly pay great!! but you also get more time away from your job to be around the family.. but of course there are consequences!

you don't get the ability to buy anything you like, the be able to travel wherever you like, you can't have the big home, the fancy cars, the nice clothing, and other great stuff.

So why can't we have it both ways? have the 40 Hours a week job and be able to have the nice things in life?

And the bigger picture question is, why can't this world be less controlled by the need to earn more money and the bigger $$ and more by improving our lives and making the most of it?

again today, Money gives you the way to go do that.

because we all know, eating healthier foods costs more money!

crap foods like chips, pop, candy, fast food is cheaper and more convenient! yet it's bad for you.

Living life the right way will Cost ya!!

that whole ideal today makes me just shake my head.

You want the best in life? you want to feel healthy? spend more!!!

how many people today are happy with just getting by?

pay cheque to pay cheque.

And the funny thing is, if you won the Lottery tomorrow and you got 40 Million dollars..

would that money truly make you happier?

ya, you could by that big house, that fancy car.. the 60 inch screen TV.. the Giant Backyard Pool.. But will it really make you happier?
 

wulfie68

Council Member
Mar 29, 2009
2,014
24
38
Calgary, AB
Money is a necessity of life.

When we started out as a species, we could be hunter-gatherers, and our time was spent looking after the necessities: food, shelter, water. Then we could generally think about things like procreation after that. In time, we learned how to farm and it still meant much of our time was spent looking after the farm... or in other words food, shelter and water, still.

Today, our occupations have varied a bit more, but money equates to that same old mantra: you need money to buy groceries, to pay rent or a mortgage, to pay for your utilities. There aren't many places you can go and just take over some unused land, call it yours and try to scratch out an existence through farming by hand.

Now do some people get obsessed with earning money and creature comforts? Sure they do but greed has also been a prime motivator in many of the discoveries that have advanced our society. At one point, when I was younger and single I was working 60-80hrs a week, making a ton of cash, but it was also because I enjoyed my job and got a lot of satisfaction from what I was doing: it gave me a sense of fulfillment and even some of my identity. That changed as I got older (and company management philosophies changed), and so I don't do it any more.

And as for winning that $40 million, sure it would make me happier: all my financial worries would be over, from the mundane day to day, to paying for my sons' education when they get of age. My wife and I would be freer to spend more time focusing on what we want (and yes some of that would be charity and volunteering to make our community a better place). It wouldn't make everything easier but it would change some things for the better. But I also know that those odds of winning a big lottery are astronomical and its a fantasy, not anything close to a reality so my wife and I will carry on and do the best we can :)
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
117,458
14,316
113
Low Earth Orbit
Is money really the limiting factor to success and happiness?

Do some poking around and you'll find that the happiest people on the planet are actualy some of the financially poorest.

Would you strip your life of material goods to gain true happiness?
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
4,340
113
Vancouver Island
I never had enough money at one time to be sure that money can buy happiness but I know for a fact that poverty sucks. There have been times when we had to choose between buying groceries or propane to cook it on so I could handle having 40 mil in the bank. Then I would know that my grandchildren could go to university and there are a few projects I would like to see done for our community. Vehicles with warranty would be much nicer than spending weekends patching up the old ones too.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
117,458
14,316
113
Low Earth Orbit
Poverty does indeed suck and in this land of incredible abundance there is no excuse for it but no matter how much money you have you can't buy the basics that make life worth living.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
4,340
113
Vancouver Island
Poverty does indeed suck and in this land of incredible abundance there is no excuse for it but no matter how much money you have you can't buy the basics that make life worth living.

Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll, Beer? All can be bought if one has enough money.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
117,458
14,316
113
Low Earth Orbit
Women cost money? You can grow your own drugs. A guitar is cheap enough to buy with "empties" and you can make your own booze by raiding your neighbours crabapple tree.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
4,340
113
Vancouver Island
Not sure if single women cost money but wives sure do. My incumbent one is pretty low maintenance and still expensive.Maybe the next one will be inflateable.
You never had the misfortune to hear me play and sing. I was excused from O Canada because I threw everyone else off.
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
117,458
14,316
113
Low Earth Orbit
I admit I have yet to achieve Nirvana with life's freebies but when I can sneeze, fart and orgasm all at once, at will, it will truly be bliss.
 

Scott Free

House Member
May 9, 2007
3,893
46
48
BC
Capitalism requires a population with an insatiable appetite so our handlers and trainers are always priming us to want and desire.

This is where the whole "green" movement makes me laugh. While some hope that it will be the new economic bubble they fail to see that the planet has no greater enemy than capitalism - the very thing the bubble is meant to serve!

People really are stupid monkeys.
 

Avro

Time Out
Feb 12, 2007
7,815
65
48
55
Oshawa
Capitalism requires a population with an insatiable appetite so our handlers and trainers are always priming us to want and desire.

This is where the whole "green" movement makes me laugh. While some hope that it will be the new economic bubble they fail to see that the planet has no greater enemy than capitalism - the very thing the bubble is meant to serve!

People really are stupid monkeys.

That's not why the green movement makes you laugh, it makes you laugh the same way anyone with faith laughs at science.

The green movement isn't about solving economic woes, it's about solving AGW and other such damaging results of human consumption. If we were able to create new industries (and we are) that is merely a positive by product of cleaning up our act.

Anyone who doesn't like money can always move to Cuba and see how happy they would be.:lol:
 

gerryh

Time Out
Nov 21, 2004
25,756
295
83
Is it now?

I have talked to many people of different faiths and it's all the same nonsense.

Here's another one....get a christian to explain the firmament.

Comedy at it's best.


yup.... broad brush....narrow mind.