Money Can’t Buy Happiness Indeed…
I stumbled on a Yahoo News story tonight about Karl Rebeder – a Millionaire – who gave all his money and properties to charities set up by himself. And you should go to read the post, and see the comments – many of which left me wondering again about our judgmental human nature – so totally useless… And how difficult it is for most to see the goodness in people when it’s due.
In all honesty – I’ve never seen money making anyone happy. However – the same is true for the statement he made to the Daily Telegraph:
“Money is counterproductive – it prevents happiness to come.”
I’ve always seen wealth and money as a way to be free and be able to live a satisfactory way of life. And this is different for everyone. Money cannot buy one a real love, nor happiness, or health. It could make life much easier than it is to live life while struggling to pay the bills and being unable to enjoy time with the people you love, and doing the things you love doing. I think, he meant to say that he is missing a “Real Purpose” in life that could make him happy, and that probably “less is more” for him at this stage of his life. Here you can read more about Karl Rebeder and this story.
Now I’d love to hear your opinion about this story, and do you agree with his statements. Stay always fabulous and happy!
Tags: about Karl Rebeder - a Millionaire who gave all his money to charities, Money is counterproductive – it prevents happiness to come, neatorama.com - yahoo news story, never seen money making anyone happy, wealth and money as a way to be free and be able to live a satisfactory way of life
February 11th, 2010 at 12:03 am
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February 11th, 2010 at 5:49 am
Hey great article Tatiana! I can”t get over what this guy has done. Like you, I have always held that wealth and money is a way to be free and be able to live comfortably. However, I have known a few individuals who have lots of money and who. like the gentleman in this article, are very unhappy. I also know people who barely make it from paycheck to paycheck and who are very unhappy as well. I suppose a lot of factors come into ones life to either enrich or deplete it, regardless of how much money you have. Could I be happy living in a hut? Probably not ….lol. Money doesn”t buy you happiness for sure, but it does allow you the luxury of making others happy.
Hey, thanks for dropping by my site…now THAT makes me happy to know someone else is out here…lol. Take care.
~JD
February 11th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Hi JD – nice to see you on Totally Useless, and thank you for your opinion in regards to what money can and cannot do. And I cannot be happy living in a hut either, but going there for a few months a year could bring me in touch with my inner self I think, and while being away from the electrical pollution also my brain could rest, and my body get fit…
February 11th, 2010 at 9:15 am
I can”t believe that there are still people who think this way in the world. Here I am – a single female, High School teacher who is struggling to pay my bills. I live from month to month just barely scraping by. How I would love the help of someone to help me out with some of my bills so I can stop drowning in worry. Yes, MONEY CANNOT buy happiness, but lack of it can make you feel sick, send one into extreme anxiety and worry.
February 11th, 2010 at 9:34 am
Hi Alice – and thank you for sharing your opinion here.
Would you mind telling what exactly did you mean here with: “I can”t believe that there are still people who think this way in the world?” – is it about me and JD”s opinion, or about what Karl Rebeder did with his wealth? And yes – I know how tough life could be without enough money and the worries and stress that go together with poverty. The world would be such a wonderful place if poverty and lack could be eradicated all together…
February 12th, 2010 at 10:19 am
Regretfully, I can”t agree with Karl. I believe ”money does bring happiness” one way or another. It”s just how we define happiness, our expectations and our willingness to embraces the changes that come with it.
Why give away all his possessions and punish himself by keeping nothing and to think that this will make him any happier? Nothing changes, only his material surrounding. He”s still be the same guy with the same expectations until he truly change from the inside out. How does he define happiness? He will not find happiness until he can truly define it to himself.
Despite this, he did good by setting up that funding organisation that hopefully ensure continuity of resources to help the poor. If charity and helping the less fortunate can make him happy, then all his millions would have been of great use to him in all his future charitable endeavours.
I think he”s just too drastic. He should have kept the business and channel all its annual profits into the fund to help the poor … this will ensure more security for his causes.
.-= Wenny Yap´s last blog ..Law Of Attraction: You Can Do It Too! ~ Part 6 =-.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Hi Wenny and thank you for sharing your opinion about Karl and his story.
And it was a very drastic way to part with his wealth indeed. He could have done it the way you described in here, but he did not. He would probably regret his decision down the road when he sees that most of his time is spent in the pursuit of being able to pay the bills instead of in the pursuit of happiness…
June 2nd, 2010 at 12:25 am
Superb study, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing just a little research on that. And he actually bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So allow me rephrase that: Many thanks for lunch!
August 5th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Appreciation for posting this story. I”m decidedly frustrated with struggling to research out pertinent and intelligent commentary on this issue. Everyone today goes to the very far extremes to either drive property their viewpoint that either: everyone else in the planet is wrong, or two that everyone but them does not really understand the situation. Many appreciation for your concise, pertinent insight.
August 27th, 2010 at 5:43 am
[...] on the above mentioned article were so very mean spirited, and I felt annoyed just like I was on another article sometime ago. [...]
October 26th, 2010 at 12:36 am
Mr Karl Rebeder became rich and lost his happiness so he pledged his entire fortune for good cause. He was having money and may earn more, make others happy and by seeing he may be happy. Those who are all having money are not unhappy but most of the millionaire come forward to help the needy people.
October 26th, 2010 at 12:47 am
I am unhappy because I have no money but find lot of commitment. It does not mean those who are not having money are all unhappy. I mean to say that money alone is not the reason for happy or unhappiness. It depends on many situation. To cite an example, I am an Ex Army man and retired from govt service in April 2004. Being from poor family I have no won house. In the anxiety of a house I have joined and arranged down line people in the National Federation of the Blind and Manav Foundation, said to be for the backward community, with a high hope of getting incentive while serving the needy people, but they have cheated making loss of my entire pension benefits besides ran into debit of more than 8.5 lacs. As I have no source to repay the loan and my meager pension is not sufficient to pay interest on the loan amount, so trembling with fear and almost in the street for daily needs. I am requesting help to come out of the distressed situation of my family. In such situation I am not happy. If you have money you can help me and you will also satisfy thinking about me.
February 17th, 2011 at 11:36 pm
Super post:) and nice domain name as a matter of fact!