What did Money give you?

Mithrandir · 20th March 2016, 17:06

A friend of mine once said "Money changed the need based economy into greed based economy". In stone age; perhaps the tribes of men bartered things they have in excess with things they actually need. May be there was no fixed value for any thing. The value was decided by your need. But today, things are different. Greed has taken over need. Many of us want to own more than one house, more than one car, and nearly as many things as our credit cards can buy. Even if we have three or four smartphones lying around on the table, our eyes lit up when we see a lucrative deal and jump in the line to buy another. Its not about how much you need. Its about how much is your greed. Money generates some sense of 'ownership' and for some its a scale to measure up one's 'value'. They say money made us civilized. But did it actually? no one knows.

EPMV · 20th March 2016, 18:03

Nice and thought provoking topic..! Thank You sayakc..! But its a deep and never ending debate.

If one have a left and right turns in front of him, he have a choice to choose how to turn the wheel.
If one have a menu card in hand, he have a choice to choose which plates should appear in front of him.

My point is, whatever being called in the name of convenience, luxury, comfort are merely the choice one can get based on the Money he has. Where the other part of the society runs without any of such choices and lives with what they have in hand. If we realize the opposite direction of whatever we are into, lot of sensible people will come up in our society.

If I have money, I'm capable of doing whatever i can within the limit of what is in my hand. There is no issue of that. If I say, I have money and I'm capable of doing whatever which in turn putting it to the trash then there is a problem. Its reminding me of a shared story, where the rich guys ended up paying a fine to food control people in some other country for wasting the half plate of food and argued I'm capable of buying whatever i want and i can do anything of my own.

People have more money then it should bring more sophistication, luxury, comfort which means the better life, happy home. But is that the reality, its a big No. If someone has more money and have more problems then, its not the problem of money, its the problem of the people who got the wrong fundamentals of what is money about and how that can be handled.

I would say, if i have more money, still I will be buying what I need, the best of it, but not to show what I'm capable of.

My Answer: Money gives me freedom, to do what I want, what I need, in each and every moment of my life. Money gives me the ability to serve to the need, whether its for me or for others.

Jeroen · 20th March 2016, 18:52

I was just reaching an article on a Dutch website. It quoted some Dutch research into the correlation between spending money and happiness. It concluded that spending money on material things did bring happiness. People do get happy feelings when they buy something expensive that they really like. They enjoy looking at it etc. How ever, they also found this sort of happiness did not last very long. They also found that people who travel often and to new places are a lot happier then people who don't. It brings happy memories but apparently also increase overall happiness state. So best to spend your money on travel then!

My wife and me are off for a five day trip to Chennai and Pondicherry in two days. Cost a bundle, but we are really exited and looking forward to it. Hey! Its working!

Jeroen

Moody · 20th March 2016, 18:53

This is an amazing thread and here are my few cents.

I see a lot of people lamenting about how we have become more greedy. Left behind our more simpler roots to move into a consumption based lifestyle, have lost patience etc. I think these are all just symptoms and nothing inherently has changed in us when compared with our ancestors anytime in the past.

Yes the things we crave now are quite different but I believe as soon as our basic needs as humans are taken care of we start noticing a void inside us. The void to understand what our life means and why we are here. This is probably the oldest question in existence.

The only difference I see is that in old times contemplation about the meaning of life and sitting back with your own thoughts was something which was encouraged. It was even taught extensively in many cultures to try to seek answers to these questions. We as humans were supposed to control our mind/thoughts and maybe in the process understand what all this is about.

Nowadays though it is not cool anymore and our mind has become our biggest problem. We are afraid of our own thoughts and we keep trying to keep our mind distracted with external things. For some it could be good food, traveling to exotic places, buying expensive accessories and for a lot of us on this forum it is our rides

. It all boils down that void inside us and the things with we try to fill it with.

So spend your money on whatever you want but do not connect your happiness with it. Do whatever work you do but do not identify yourself with it.

Cheers!

ampere · 20th March 2016, 19:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeroen

They also found that people who travel often and to new places are a lot happier then people who don't. It brings happy memories but apparently also increase overall happiness state. So best to spend your money on travel then!

Agree to this. Travel always brings a sense of inner calm and a state of delight. But on how much we should spend on a holiday to be happy is again a subjective question as per me (I think to every one). It may not even be a considerate thought, when looked at otherwise. I am equally happy when going out with family and staying up in a luxurious hotel as going out with friends in a bachelor mode and sipping tea/coffee by the road side.

But yes, the delight of visiting a new place is always consistent. A somewhat related thread which I had brought up earlier.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...holiday-3.html

rattanw · 21st March 2016, 01:42

This is surely an interesting thread, sort of thought provoking, if you may.

Its really quite simple if you look at it. Money, the means to acquire strictly 'worldly' pleasures, is precisely only that, the means to acquire strictly 'worldly' pleasures, and nothing else.

Many have contended money is a form of security, its essential for a certain quality of life, one cannot do without it, pre-historic and historic references have been made, all these are very valid, I believe. Yet more valid is the fact that money is only a 'means'.

Money enables choices in life - for example, money enables me to buy a certain car, money gives me choice to buy a house, money gives me choice of going on vacations, or to acquire certain possessions or to pursue that hobby, or to send my children abroad for studies, etc etc. Thats the entire role of money, that of an enabler. Before and after that enabler enables us to acquire those desired objects, other and perhaps more important, but sadly lesser known human faculties take over.

Why do we make a certain decision? Why do we choose one over another? Why and how do we conclude one is better than other? Where do we draw our inspiration to choose from? Even the people who choose randomly, or claim to choose randomly, seldom know that randomness not without reason, i.e. even randomness has some unknown, sublime inferences and is affected by the individuals' sub conscience. What happens after acquiring that objest of our dreams, or someone else's dreams, or anything else? Are we able to retain it? Are we able to improve our life exactly the way we thought before acquiring the object? Are we able to build happy memories and happy lives with that object? Does that object enable us to become better human being? Or do we just tick mark another check box in an ever growing list where sheets of paper and lines keep getting added without adding any quality to life? Hence, the bigger question - what motivates us? Or what inspires us to act the way we do and live the way we live? No its not money. As I said, money is only an enabler. And please, spare me the business school theories. Having spent nearly 20 years in professional space and having attended more classes, trainings and talks than I care to remember, I have learnt only one thing - that circumstances and one's situation in life are better teachers than the brightest professors and the top ranked institutes.

Food for thought maybe - two thoughts that are always with me. First, Anthony Hopkins in the worlds fastest Indian said "you live more in 5 minutes riding a motorcycle than most people live in a lifetime". Words cannot express the true lesson from that statement. Second, whatever happens, it happens for a reason. There is a purpose and design to seemingly unrelated, random occurrences and events in life. Believe that and live according to that - rest all is happenstance.

bking · 21st March 2016, 06:25

Money has always given me pleasure. The more money I have, the more I am at peace. Don't you feel so?

Well to be honest, it's true to a certain extent but then it all depends on how you see yourself doing in the near future. There are people who are insanely driven by the power of money and then there are people who would rather laze around all day without doing one productive thing.

If I were to classify myself, i would come say in the middle of the two types of people i just mentioned. Money is important, yes. But, what i value more is having time for myself. What is the use of earning crores if you don't have time to spend even half of it?

To be honest, there is no point. I would rather work less hours a week and spend more than doing vice-versa.

So yes, money can give me creature comforts and all the things that i desire in life, but i will never be able to work insane hours like a lot of people do and earn exorbitant amounts of monies that i might never be able to spend.

I value my time more than i value money.

For me- Time>Money

Considering that I have ample of it and am not struggling in any sense.

Cheers!

TD_GHY · 21st March 2016, 07:42

What money couldn't give me, it's absence gave me. Contentment.

Until last year, I was earning close to a lac, was living in a relatively premium city in a posh locality, dining in good looking restaurants suitable enough to post on Facebook, had my share of occasional foreign trips. But what I didn't have was peace. I longed for my parents, my loved ones as I was staying 2000 kms away from them. Daily phone calls couldn't take that feeling of emptiness. And my dream of the professional life I had always wanted was slowly being engulfed by the inflow of more and more money. Money has this strong ability to pull you from things you love doing to things that it wants you to do because others are doing it. And in one random.moment in time, I decided it's time. Called up office and told them I'm quitting. Served the notice period and was back to my hometown.

I have been here living with my parents for the last 14 months now. The cash inflow has stopped, and I'm living on my parents' income only. I don't have the luxury of dining in fancy restaurants now, or to shop as if there's no tomorrow. But what I have is peace and contentment. To come back to my mother everyday. To have food with them everyday. To visit places with them. To laugh with them.

Makes me believe in the old saying. Money should be for men, men should not be for money.

wantarangerover · 21st March 2016, 09:17

Nice Topic. I think it is quite simple - Money cannot be your *primary* objective in life. If you are unhappy *only* because you think you have not enough money, and believe that *more* money would make you happy, It is not going to. It means that there are other things in life that need mending, and lack of money is just an excuse made up in your head. Sooner we realize that, the better it is.

From personal experience, the thought of "Only if I had more money, I could live a better life" is just a wild goose chase. It starts typically when you are in college, thinking you would have a blast with some money. But when you enter the corporate world, you get the money, but loose a lot of friends, time, and an innocence and simplicity in perception and attitude, to be replaced with office politics, deadlines, appraisals. Not to mention the constant comparisons with others.

So to make money work for you, work on the more important things in life - your family, a nice circle of friends. Occasionally travel to new destinations and see new people, it will widen your horizons and perceptions. Read a lot and have some hobbies. it works..

20th March 2016, 17:06	#46
Mithrandir BHPian Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Udupi, M'lore Posts: 55 Thanked: 42 Times	Re: What did Money give you? A friend of mine once said "Money changed the need based economy into greed based economy". In stone age; perhaps the tribes of men bartered things they have in excess with things they actually need. May be there was no fixed value for any thing. The value was decided by your need. But today, things are different. Greed has taken over need. Many of us want to own more than one house, more than one car, and nearly as many things as our credit cards can buy. Even if we have three or four smartphones lying around on the table, our eyes lit up when we see a lucrative deal and jump in the line to buy another. Its not about how much you need. Its about how much is your greed. Money generates some sense of 'ownership' and for some its a scale to measure up one's 'value'. They say money made us civilized. But did it actually? no one knows.
	() Thanks

20th March 2016, 18:03	#47
EPMV BHPian Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Bangalore Posts: 71 Thanked: 318 Times	Re: What did Money give you? Nice and thought provoking topic..! Thank You sayakc..! But its a deep and never ending debate. If one have a left and right turns in front of him, he have a choice to choose how to turn the wheel. If one have a menu card in hand, he have a choice to choose which plates should appear in front of him. My point is, whatever being called in the name of convenience, luxury, comfort are merely the choice one can get based on the Money he has. Where the other part of the society runs without any of such choices and lives with what they have in hand. If we realize the opposite direction of whatever we are into, lot of sensible people will come up in our society. If I have money, I'm capable of doing whatever i can within the limit of what is in my hand. There is no issue of that. If I say, I have money and I'm capable of doing whatever which in turn putting it to the trash then there is a problem. Its reminding me of a shared story, where the rich guys ended up paying a fine to food control people in some other country for wasting the half plate of food and argued I'm capable of buying whatever i want and i can do anything of my own. People have more money then it should bring more sophistication, luxury, comfort which means the better life, happy home. But is that the reality, its a big No. If someone has more money and have more problems then, its not the problem of money, its the problem of the people who got the wrong fundamentals of what is money about and how that can be handled. I would say, if i have more money, still I will be buying what I need, the best of it, but not to show what I'm capable of. My Answer: Money gives me freedom, to do what I want, what I need, in each and every moment of my life. Money gives me the ability to serve to the need, whether its for me or for others.
	() Thanks

20th March 2016, 18:52	#48
Jeroen Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Delhi Posts: 8,921 Thanked: 61,719 Times View My Garage	I was just reaching an article on a Dutch website. It quoted some Dutch research into the correlation between spending money and happiness. It concluded that spending money on material things did bring happiness. People do get happy feelings when they buy something expensive that they really like. They enjoy looking at it etc. How ever, they also found this sort of happiness did not last very long. They also found that people who travel often and to new places are a lot happier then people who don't. It brings happy memories but apparently also increase overall happiness state. So best to spend your money on travel then! My wife and me are off for a five day trip to Chennai and Pondicherry in two days. Cost a bundle, but we are really exited and looking forward to it. Hey! Its working! Jeroen
	() Thanks

20th March 2016, 18:53	#49
Moody Newbie Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: NCR Posts: 12 Thanked: 0 Times	Re: What did Money give you? This is an amazing thread and here are my few cents. I see a lot of people lamenting about how we have become more greedy. Left behind our more simpler roots to move into a consumption based lifestyle, have lost patience etc. I think these are all just symptoms and nothing inherently has changed in us when compared with our ancestors anytime in the past. Yes the things we crave now are quite different but I believe as soon as our basic needs as humans are taken care of we start noticing a void inside us. The void to understand what our life means and why we are here. This is probably the oldest question in existence. The only difference I see is that in old times contemplation about the meaning of life and sitting back with your own thoughts was something which was encouraged. It was even taught extensively in many cultures to try to seek answers to these questions. We as humans were supposed to control our mind/thoughts and maybe in the process understand what all this is about. Nowadays though it is not cool anymore and our mind has become our biggest problem. We are afraid of our own thoughts and we keep trying to keep our mind distracted with external things. For some it could be good food, traveling to exotic places, buying expensive accessories and for a lot of us on this forum it is our rides. It all boils down that void inside us and the things with we try to fill it with. So spend your money on whatever you want but do not connect your happiness with it. Do whatever work you do but do not identify yourself with it. Cheers!
	() Thanks

21st March 2016, 01:42	#51
rattanw BHPian Join Date: May 2014 Location: New Delhi Posts: 120 Thanked: 105 Times	Re: What did Money give you? This is surely an interesting thread, sort of thought provoking, if you may. Its really quite simple if you look at it. Money, the means to acquire strictly 'worldly' pleasures, is precisely only that, the means to acquire strictly 'worldly' pleasures, and nothing else. Many have contended money is a form of security, its essential for a certain quality of life, one cannot do without it, pre-historic and historic references have been made, all these are very valid, I believe. Yet more valid is the fact that money is only a 'means'. Money enables choices in life - for example, money enables me to buy a certain car, money gives me choice to buy a house, money gives me choice of going on vacations, or to acquire certain possessions or to pursue that hobby, or to send my children abroad for studies, etc etc. Thats the entire role of money, that of an enabler. Before and after that enabler enables us to acquire those desired objects, other and perhaps more important, but sadly lesser known human faculties take over. Why do we make a certain decision? Why do we choose one over another? Why and how do we conclude one is better than other? Where do we draw our inspiration to choose from? Even the people who choose randomly, or claim to choose randomly, seldom know that randomness not without reason, i.e. even randomness has some unknown, sublime inferences and is affected by the individuals' sub conscience. What happens after acquiring that objest of our dreams, or someone else's dreams, or anything else? Are we able to retain it? Are we able to improve our life exactly the way we thought before acquiring the object? Are we able to build happy memories and happy lives with that object? Does that object enable us to become better human being? Or do we just tick mark another check box in an ever growing list where sheets of paper and lines keep getting added without adding any quality to life? Hence, the bigger question - what motivates us? Or what inspires us to act the way we do and live the way we live? No its not money. As I said, money is only an enabler. And please, spare me the business school theories. Having spent nearly 20 years in professional space and having attended more classes, trainings and talks than I care to remember, I have learnt only one thing - that circumstances and one's situation in life are better teachers than the brightest professors and the top ranked institutes. Food for thought maybe - two thoughts that are always with me. First, Anthony Hopkins in the worlds fastest Indian said "you live more in 5 minutes riding a motorcycle than most people live in a lifetime". Words cannot express the true lesson from that statement. Second, whatever happens, it happens for a reason. There is a purpose and design to seemingly unrelated, random occurrences and events in life. Believe that and live according to that - rest all is happenstance. Last edited by rattanw : 21st March 2016 at 01:46.
	() Thanks

21st March 2016, 06:25	#52
bking BHPian Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Delhi Posts: 39 Thanked: 84 Times	Money has always given me pleasure. The more money I have, the more I am at peace. Don't you feel so? Well to be honest, it's true to a certain extent but then it all depends on how you see yourself doing in the near future. There are people who are insanely driven by the power of money and then there are people who would rather laze around all day without doing one productive thing. If I were to classify myself, i would come say in the middle of the two types of people i just mentioned. Money is important, yes. But, what i value more is having time for myself. What is the use of earning crores if you don't have time to spend even half of it? To be honest, there is no point. I would rather work less hours a week and spend more than doing vice-versa. So yes, money can give me creature comforts and all the things that i desire in life, but i will never be able to work insane hours like a lot of people do and earn exorbitant amounts of monies that i might never be able to spend. I value my time more than i value money. For me- Time>Money Considering that I have ample of it and am not struggling in any sense. Cheers! Last edited by ampere : 21st March 2016 at 07:07.
	() Thanks

21st March 2016, 07:42	#53
TD_GHY BHPian Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Guwahati Posts: 201 Thanked: 395 Times	Re: What did Money give you? What money couldn't give me, it's absence gave me. Contentment. Until last year, I was earning close to a lac, was living in a relatively premium city in a posh locality, dining in good looking restaurants suitable enough to post on Facebook, had my share of occasional foreign trips. But what I didn't have was peace. I longed for my parents, my loved ones as I was staying 2000 kms away from them. Daily phone calls couldn't take that feeling of emptiness. And my dream of the professional life I had always wanted was slowly being engulfed by the inflow of more and more money. Money has this strong ability to pull you from things you love doing to things that it wants you to do because others are doing it. And in one random.moment in time, I decided it's time. Called up office and told them I'm quitting. Served the notice period and was back to my hometown. I have been here living with my parents for the last 14 months now. The cash inflow has stopped, and I'm living on my parents' income only. I don't have the luxury of dining in fancy restaurants now, or to shop as if there's no tomorrow. But what I have is peace and contentment. To come back to my mother everyday. To have food with them everyday. To visit places with them. To laugh with them. Makes me believe in the old saying. Money should be for men, men should not be for money. Last edited by TD_GHY : 21st March 2016 at 07:52.
	() Thanks

21st March 2016, 09:17	#54
wantarangerover BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: BLR Posts: 183 Thanked: 176 Times	Re: What did Money give you? Nice Topic. I think it is quite simple - Money cannot be your primary objective in life. If you are unhappy only because you think you have not enough money, and believe that more money would make you happy, It is not going to. It means that there are other things in life that need mending, and lack of money is just an excuse made up in your head. Sooner we realize that, the better it is. From personal experience, the thought of "Only if I had more money, I could live a better life" is just a wild goose chase. It starts typically when you are in college, thinking you would have a blast with some money. But when you enter the corporate world, you get the money, but loose a lot of friends, time, and an innocence and simplicity in perception and attitude, to be replaced with office politics, deadlines, appraisals. Not to mention the constant comparisons with others. So to make money work for you, work on the more important things in life - your family, a nice circle of friends. Occasionally travel to new destinations and see new people, it will widen your horizons and perceptions. Read a lot and have some hobbies. it works..
	() Thanks