Post-Christmas Post
During a x'mas gathering with my secondary school friends, the old argument 'can money buy you happiness' surfaced. Well, as a JC student who has been taught how to answer General Paper questions correctly, the safest approach to answering this question must be "it depends".
The Cambridge Dictionary defines happiness as "the feeling of being happy (noun)" and happy as an adjective means "feeling, showing or causing pleasure or satisfaction".
In my opinion, happiness is indeed a feeling and you can't really purchase emotions. For example, if you receive an expensive gift such as an ipod nano from your beloved partner, you might feel happy. Your happiness may not necessarily stem from the price of the gift, but by the sincerity of your bf/gf. A spoilt brat might receive the very same gift from his rich parents and cast it aside, feeling instead the disappointment of not getting his private jet. Thus money can buy you a ipod nano and that is all to it, really.
Of course, that is a very simplistic argument and we all know that it is just naive to dismiss the importance of money. It would almost certainly be good if you didn't need to worry about money. I know of many people who face the burden of raising a family, paying off debts and so on. If you fall sick, the last thing you would need is to worry about money? Well, how about if you are financially well-off but have no family who gives a hoot about you? I would say that money can alleviate your suffering but it wouldn't buy you happiness..
As they say, being content is the key to happiness. You can sell peanuts for a living, return to your 1-room flat and spend quality time with your family everyday or you can earn peanuts by working 7 days a week, neglect your family and end up in some serious trouble. Money can buy you an air-ticket to Australia but it won't buy you companionship. Likewise, you may only be going to kusu island with your loved ones but feel on top of the world. Or you may be going to disneyland with your family but feel like sh*t coz your child is dying. Your child may be dying but you may still feel happy if you can appreciate the times you have had with him/her and be thankful for it.
I guess my point is that money can buy you plenty of stuff and its absence/shortage can definitely be quite frustrating but ultimately, you are the only one who can make yourself happy. If that is to be achieved thru' financial means, fine. If you can be happy with or without money, all the better. As the beer commercial goes, 'just be true to yourself'.
Have a good year ahead, everyone!
During a x'mas gathering with my secondary school friends, the old argument 'can money buy you happiness' surfaced. Well, as a JC student who has been taught how to answer General Paper questions correctly, the safest approach to answering this question must be "it depends".
The Cambridge Dictionary defines happiness as "the feeling of being happy (noun)" and happy as an adjective means "feeling, showing or causing pleasure or satisfaction".
In my opinion, happiness is indeed a feeling and you can't really purchase emotions. For example, if you receive an expensive gift such as an ipod nano from your beloved partner, you might feel happy. Your happiness may not necessarily stem from the price of the gift, but by the sincerity of your bf/gf. A spoilt brat might receive the very same gift from his rich parents and cast it aside, feeling instead the disappointment of not getting his private jet. Thus money can buy you a ipod nano and that is all to it, really.
Of course, that is a very simplistic argument and we all know that it is just naive to dismiss the importance of money. It would almost certainly be good if you didn't need to worry about money. I know of many people who face the burden of raising a family, paying off debts and so on. If you fall sick, the last thing you would need is to worry about money? Well, how about if you are financially well-off but have no family who gives a hoot about you? I would say that money can alleviate your suffering but it wouldn't buy you happiness..
As they say, being content is the key to happiness. You can sell peanuts for a living, return to your 1-room flat and spend quality time with your family everyday or you can earn peanuts by working 7 days a week, neglect your family and end up in some serious trouble. Money can buy you an air-ticket to Australia but it won't buy you companionship. Likewise, you may only be going to kusu island with your loved ones but feel on top of the world. Or you may be going to disneyland with your family but feel like sh*t coz your child is dying. Your child may be dying but you may still feel happy if you can appreciate the times you have had with him/her and be thankful for it.
I guess my point is that money can buy you plenty of stuff and its absence/shortage can definitely be quite frustrating but ultimately, you are the only one who can make yourself happy. If that is to be achieved thru' financial means, fine. If you can be happy with or without money, all the better. As the beer commercial goes, 'just be true to yourself'.
Have a good year ahead, everyone!
posted by @lvin at
12:46 AM
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1 comments
