Why are most rich people living unhappy, and in contrast to poor people living in poverty but happy?

View the original post on Musing.io

Well, it explains one thing already that money can't buy happiness. While it's true for a long run but there is a temporary happiness that comes from money. Before I go answer your question, first let's define happiness, the Wikipedia does it this way:

           " Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being which can be defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. "

Now, it's a very comprehensive and technical definition and very true too. Now, imagine you are a poor man and you need money to by things that you need. You have dreams and you can't pursue them because you don't have money. Now that makes you very unhappy. One day, you get a lot money outta nowhere! Well, now you can make your ends meet and make your dreams come true. That makes you happy. But this happiness can not last longer because there is avoid inside you that can never be filled no matter how much money you get. It's your desire to get more. It's never gonna leave you unless you decide to leave it.

Now, imagine the same scenario of poverty but this time around whenever you feel the wave of unhappiness around you, you just close your eyes and see people in worst conditions than you and wonder in that dream palace of yours, that puts a smile on your face! Happiness. But again it's temporary. 

So, what is the permanent solution to this unhappiness? Money or no money, happiness is a skill and you have to learn it. That's the solution. You are gonna learn to be happy long before the money comes in. People with money aren't happy because they never learned being happy. They were too busy worrying about the money that they forgot to witness the beauty that was always in front of them: LIFE. 

Source

So, if you wanna stay happy with or without money, learn to appreciate life, stop right there and look around you and appreciate what you see. I don't have more word on happiness so I will leave you with this poem called "Leisure" by William Henry Davies, it really sums up happiness in it's core:

"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare. "