Would you rather be Rich & Unhappy or Poor and Happy?
 

Well at work the other day I was having a discussion with one on my work mates about how much he works. Well he was saying things like that he can't see his kids as much as he would like too because he works so much. Well I said something along the lines of "I don't have as much money as you, but I sure have fun in my life". So I asked him the title question and he said that the money he brings in is better than spending more time with his kids (If you read between the lines)

So what would you guys rather have? Would you rather have a lot of money, but no time to spend it on and thus being unhappy, or would you forgo the big bank account for happiness?

I would rather be poor and happy, but being poor can bring sadness too. So either way it sucks.

I'd rather be rich and unhappy. Then you could try and buy your way to happiness. If you're poor and happy, you'll probably end up being unhappy then have almost no way out of it.

I'm already poor and happy. Meh... I'd like the first part to change in my future though.

What would be the point in having money if I didn't have the time to spend it? Poor and happy.

Some people say that money can't buy you happiness. Bull shit! Money can buy you all sorts of happy stuff. I *heart* material possessions... I would make such a terrible Buddhist.

The thing that's so toss up about this situation, is that I'm pretty sure I could find a way to happiness if I was rich. But I'm also pretty sure I could build up a pretty decent lifestyle if I was happy. Thus, I come about two solutions for this problem.

If you're not forever locked into the given classifications, I'd rather start out rich and unhappy. If you're stuck with whatever you'd chose, I'd go with the one where I don't end up killing myself.

I'd rather be rich and unhappy, because when your rich, you can always find something to make yourself happy (like illegal Jappanese monkey knife-fighting, for example.)

Rich and unhappy, because then I would buy lots of things to make me happy.
This is stupid.

Rich, but I'd soon get bored with ebign rich, and want to live a normal life.

I'm already poor and happy, and I have no gripes with it - so it can stay.

I put the 'low' in shallow and thus i'd much rather be loaded and unhappy.

Saying that, i am sort of loaded and unhappy now, and the money makes me feel better whenever i think about how much i've got.

I'd rather stay how I am. Rich/Poor and happy.

I think there's supposed to be an implied second part to that saying. Something like "Money can't buy you the happiness loved ones can bring you." Or maybe not. That's how I've always interpreted it.

Heh, this thread is basically asking if you would rather be like scrooge your whole life or like Tiny Tim's dad.

Damn. I wanna be like Tiny Tim's dad!

And anyway... I can always mooch off my unhappy rich friends ;)

I'm rather picky about this subject. I'm not exactly rich, but I'm not exactly poor. Yet I live a life plagued by both happiness and unhappiness. All part of life. I guess I prefer living this way. I sometimes think about what it would be like to be rich, but I enivitably come to the conclusion that I'd be extremely unhappy. Middle class is the way to go.

Alcar...

I'm Rich (the Intern) and happy. But on a more serious note, money all the way.

I think I'd rather be rich and unhappy. There's always something you can do about it if you've got cash.

Look people, if you choose rich and unhappy you can't buy a ton of shit and then be somewhat less rich but happy. You have to go whole hog on this one, you're either rich and miserable or poor and happy. Both have good sides. If you're unhappy then what is the point of having a bunch of possessions? I guess you could bring joy into other lives with your inordinate amount of wealth so from a utilitarian standpoint its the way to go. On the other hand, Howard Hughes(Sp) had this problem and you know how he died? In the prime of his life, steeped in filth yet terrified of germs.
Poor and happy would be pretty good. Karma is on your side because generally if you are kind, friendly and happy good stuff will happen to you. You'll probably marry a nice woman, have a good family, friends out the ying yang. Unfortunately, no 'vette, mansion or bling bling. I'd choose poor and happy, because it isn't that much different than middle-class and somewhat happy, which I am.

I am not poor, or rich, between the two, but I'm unhappy, cuz I live in a stupid family, in a corrupt country with lots of idiots, the people are almost kills their best friends for some money... so I'm hate money... so poor and happy... I mean not so poor but happy...

Well I'm under the avarage, but I'm either way.