Do you believe that money can't buy happiness? Do you think that America is too materialistic? Do you think that people judge others on what materialistic possessions they have? Do you shop to make yourself happy? What do you think about poorer countries? Do you think that they are happier? Why do you think that poor kids in Africa are happy? Would you rather be poor or rich? What if you had to choose to be rich and miserable or poor and happy? Why?
Dani (12 o'clock)
22 comments:
I really hate to say it but I DO think that the United States is a very materialistic, if not the most materialistic, country in the world. We put such a high price on how much money people have. We assume that if someone is poor then they must be sad and depressed, while those who live in million dollar homes don't have a care in the world. I think it's total BS honestly, just because you don't have a lot of money doesn't make you any less of a person than anyone else in this world. Sure, if everyone was financially seucre I'm sure they would be happy, but at the same time I know a lot of families who struggle to make ends meet, but are some of the happiest families I've ever met. It's not how much money you have, how big your house is, or how many cars you drive, it's the values you teach your family and the principles you live by that make you who you are. To me, money is nothing, if I have a lot, cool, if I have a little, I'll make do. If you focus too much on money and how you don't have any and how you're going to pay your bills and everything in your life, then you'll inevitablly miss out on the great moments in life.
- Jarett Crump
I do not believe that money can buy to total happiness, but it can buy things that will make you happy. America is very materialistic and people are often judged by what they have and what they wear rather than who they are on the inside. When i go shopping i buy things that i think are cute and that i like rather then what i think someone else will have to say about it. People that have money often abuse the fact of having money. There are people starving on the streets as well as in other countries that dont have any money at all. People should just be grateful for what they have for it could be taken away at any given moment. It will be gone as quick as it came. People that are in Africa are still happy, and they dont have money to buy it for them. They make the best out of what they do have. If i had the choice of being poor or rich, i wold choose to be rich. I dont think anyone would want to intentionally be poor. If i had to choose between being ruch and miserable and being poor and happy, i'm not really sure what i would choose. i wouldnt want to be miserable, but then again i wouldnt want to be poor. I'm not really sure what i would choose.
Janyce Burks
Money can't buy happiness. People nowadays are so wrapped in money, shoes, clothes, and jewlery, that they can't even see the big picture of what life is really like. For instance, if a girl sees a guy with up to date clothes and pullin hundred dolla bills out thier pockets then that girl will probably start dating him. Only to find out in the end that he was cheating on her with her sister or something. See that. All that material shit blinded her from what she was looking for. She could have been talking to a man who didn't have the finer things in life and who knew how to treat a women. As you can see if you put all your focus on material stuff then you are going to miss out on what is really important in life.
Jaime Carpenter
I do believe that money cannot buy happiness. America is one of the wealthiest countries in the world so of course it is materialistic!All sorts of people are judged based upon what they have and that is a terrible way to look at things. I do not shop to make myself happy. I am not a big shopper and usually only buy things I need as opposed to things I just want. I believe poorer countries are not half as materialistic as we are. . .Yes, poorer countries marry for money and dowries, but they don't waste all of their money buying things that do not matter. I am not sure that poorer countries are happier, but they complain less about things they do not have. People of poorer countries live simpler lives and live by neccesity not greed. I do not believe that ALL of the African children are happy, because a lot of them go through worse things in there lives than we ever would,however,they most definitely still have a hopeful disposition. I would rather be somewhere in the middle of rich or poor. I would rather just live comfortably than luxuriously. I would choose to be poor and happy because happiness is not material. You can't just go out and get happy, you have to acquire it and live it.
~Rachel Edwards
First off, I would rather be poor and happy. Money can't buy happiness, but it makes things easier. With money, bills can be paid, you can eat well, and life is better, but even if you can't pay the bills or afford to eat, you can be happy--it's called college. I think that people place too much importance on material possessions. I don't ever go shopping. If people go shopping to feel better, then they have too much money to be sad, so a piece of advice that I have is, bury the money or fold it in half to double it.
Dustin Piercy (9:00)
It's sad to say but the United States is very materialistic. One cannot expect much less because the U.S. has one of the wealthiest economies. I agree with the fact that people make judgments on what other people own. Materialism is prevalent because Americans have the ability to have about anything they want. The fact that people judge people over what they own is wrong. Some people are happy with the basics, and if this is how they feel then that should be fine. If i had to choose i would be poor and happy. You only live once, so why not be happy.
Zach Burnett
I believe that, in some aspects, money can give you happiness. Having financial security will ease many of the worries that you will face in life. I believe that America is too materialistic. Our standards have been set by fashion, first impressions, appearances, etc. People judge others by their possessions/appearances. I don't like shopping, it doesn't make me happy. I don't really think about poorer countries very often. I guess that in commercials poorer countries seem to have happy children running around with practically nothing on. Why they seem to be happier is something I can't answer. There ignorance of materialistic things might explain why they're happy. They don't know what they're missing. "Ignorance is bliss." Personally, I'd rather be rich even if I was miserable. At least I would know that my family will be taken care of and that they wouldn't have the worries that I'm dealing with now.
Liz Doty
America is one of the wealthiest countries, and yes we are very materialistic. Why do we go out to eat when we can make something at home, why do we go shopping when we are bored? Why do we lose ourself in a world that is lost? I go shopping very rarely, and when I do it is usually to Good-Will, or Salvation-Army. My friend also gives me all of her hand-me downs, which is why I have so many cloth now. I do not have a very good since of style, and get made fun of frequently for what I where, I own one T.V. and do not have cable(my television is 15 inch). I do not have a my-space,and do not desire to. I think it is very hard to be rich and happy; possible, but hard, so I would rather be poor because I believe that happiness comes from within. Happiness comes from love, so whether you are rich or poor if you have a heart filled with love, you will be happy, just like the children in Africa they are happy because they love, not because of any amount of money they do or do not have.
Kassi
If I knew I would be able to make others happy and secure, like orphans and the homeless, I would choose to be rich and miserable. I do believe the U.S. to be materialistic, but so are other countries. I could really care less about money or trinkets, but when I do buy something I want the best, preferably american-made. I think tribal people have the best life because they get to live by themselves and off of their own land, if they want something they have to gather it or make it.
Daniel Hooker (7:00)
I am curious to know who says poor kids in Africa are happy? I don't believe they are. Poor or middle class people seem happier(sometimes) because they understand hard times, and that makes other times all the more worth living. America is a bit materialistic because of all the celebrity crap we see everyday. Like the show cribs. Who in the heck wants to see big huge amazing houses that we will never live in. Why do people enjoy seeing how good rich and famous people have it, it only makes me more miserable. I heard a saying once that makes a lot of sense. "You will never find happiness looking for what you haven't found, you will only find it when you learn to love what you have already found."
Brett Hall 12:00
I do think that the US is materialistic. Most people think that money can buy happiness, but I don't think it can. It may make life easier, but I don't think having a lot of money solves everything. I much rather be dead broke and happy than be wealthy and sad. Some people have all the money in the world, but yet they still aren't satisfied. They have all the material possessions they ever wanted. The nice house, the red sports car, and the designer clothes but it still isn't enough. Then there are families who have to work hard just to get by, but yet they are happy. Money isn't everything, and instead of thinking about the green maybe people should learn to realize what their priorities really are.
Chelse Lindenbaum (9:00)
I feel that money can defenetly help make a person happy but i think happiness is about the people you put yourself around. If you are around people that you get along with very well and the ones you love than you can be very happy even being poor. I think that little african kids can be happy because thats the only lifestyle they know to live. If they went from being in a rich house getting everything they ever wanted to an african village then i think they wouldnt be very happy. I myself want to be pretty wealthy through out my life but it is more important to me that i have many family and friends around me that make me happy. The money isn't whats going to make me happy.
Jimmy Gourdier (12:00 class)
Materialism is a very real thing and always will be. These days, people are sometimes looked at on how much money they have. People assume that is someone is poor, they are probably alot more sad then others. If your rich, your enjoying life at the fullest and are very happy. Both these statements could be true but they can also be opposite in the happy and sad state. Many people can be happy and love life when they may not have all the money in the world, and some people that are rich may be sad or depressed. To me, I think money can't make you happy, but money definitley provides things that can make us happy. A nice car, big house, and lots of land are nice things to have but these aren't the things that will get you through life being happy. Family and friends are the kind of things that make everyone happy. I think money is a great thing, if I have alot, then great. If I a have a little, I'll work harder and make it. Everyone seems to be worrying about the future way to much. Yes we do need to think about our future and what we want, but if we get to caught up in it, we'll miss the greatest times in life.
Trevor (12:00)
I personally feel that I would rather be poor and happy. I have an Uncle that is very, very rich, but he's divorced, his kids hate him, and he comes home to nothing but a big empty house. My family and I live on a farm in the middle of no where. We really have never had much, but we've had love and laughter in our family. When and if my uncle comes to visit or home he tells my mom that we live in heaven, she looks at him with a dumb stare. But he's right, there's nothing like having love and friendship in your life. Yeah it would be nice to have more money for when it gets tight, but we always pull together and help out. I just wish other people would see it in the way that my uncle seems to.
--Jill Reinhart (noon)
America is definitely too materialistic. People automatically judge people from the beginning by what clothes some has on and sadly I'm like this to. It is almost like a reflect for America now. Clothes do however speak for what type of personality you have.I don't shop to make myself happy. I don't think poorer countries are happier, they are just less judgmental because they aren't accustomed to what we are accustomed to. If I had to choose between rich or poor I would definitely choose to to be rich. If I was going to be miserable though, I would choose to be poor and happy. You only live once and I would want to be happy.
Ryan Lowry(7:00)
The US is very materialistic and always will be. People have to have the nice cars and the brand new homes. I think its funny that there is an actual addiction to shopping. I dont necesarily think people who are poor are happy, because they are starving and dont have enough money to buy homes and clothing. But i do think that they know the value of a dollar more than we do. I think money can make you happy to a certain level, but it takes more than that to make you the happiest.
Lindsay Brooks
Yes, people are way too materialistic, especially in America! I know that you can't buy happiness. Yeah, you'll get a happy feeling for a while, but it won't truly last. Only a relationship with God can make you truly happy. No, I don't shop to make myself happy. Yeah, I'm happy I got new clothes, but not a happy happy, more or less of a glad-I-got-new-clothes happy. (sorry if that's confusing.) There is less want in some other countries for Playstations, computers, cell phones, etc, that they are just trying to get by day by day. Not in all countries of course, but the poorer ones/parts. I would like to be an excess amount of money, but I would much rather be happy and poor rather than miserable and rich. Working to get what you want/need us so much more fulfilling anyway.
Elizabeth Kerns (9:00)
This is such a good question. Of course America is too materialistic! Going into the freshman year at my highschool, if you were a girl and were not fully equipped with a straightening iron, northface jacket, birkenstock shoes, and a coach wristlet, you were immediately a "nobody." No questions asked. Many people judge eachother based on what kind of clothes they wear and what they look like and it's extremely ridiculous. I will have to say that sometimes I do go shopping to make myself happy, but it is only temporary. My view is that maybe money does make some people happy. I can honestly say that without my friends and family, I wouldn't be very happy.
Brittney (7:00)
The United States is very materialistic, but I am not so sure that this is a bad thing. America became the country that it is because people were greedy and wanted more and more. Having money doesn't necessarily bring you happiness, but it does often give a person comfort and security. Children in Africa can be happy because they don't really know anything other than what they have. I do shop to make myself happy, I'm not really sure why you would shop to make yourself unhappy, unless I am misunderstanding the question in some way. If I were filthy rich, I don't know if I would necessarily be more happy than I am now, but if somebody offered me a million dollars, I sure as hell wouldn't turn it down in fear of becoming unhappy.
Chris Bohnhoff (Noon)
Money can't buy happiness, but it sure as hell makes life easier. I think if you told a starving, poverty-stricken African about all of these unhappy rich people in the U.S., he/she would probably be either completely disgusted, or laugh histerically. People who claim things like, "Often times the poor are much happier than the rich," and "Money isn't real," have never experienced true poverty. I think it's easy for rich people to talk about how materialistic this country is, and it is, but what they really should be doing is be thankful for what they have. I resent the statement, "The poor have the ability to be happy because what they have is all they know." Maybe this is true for a mentally retarded person, but not the poor. Believe me, poor people know all about what they don't have.
Tristan Cogswell
I do not believe money can buy happiness, however i do believe america is very materialistic. People are judged all the time by their possessions. I usually shop for others. I do buy for myself but I find it more enjoyable to buy things for others.
Brianna Bugbee
Money can’t buy happiness because it doesn’t solve your problems, if anything it only creates bigger ones. Yeah it might feel good for a little while to be able to buy crap, but it doesn’t last forever. I do believe that money is the root of all evil; it changes people in a negative way. People lose sight of the truly valuable gifts in life when they can buy everything. Most Americans are so materialistic it’s disgusting. People will drown themselves in debt just to keep up with everyone else. Americans are in credit card debt up to their eyeballs, trying to maintain the façade of having it all. Many people are extremely judgmental when it comes to what others do/don’t possess. I make myself happy when I find an awesome bargain. I think it’s stupid to pay one hundred dollars for a pair of jeans when I can get five pair for the same price. I think it’s ridiculous how some people suffer through horrendous living conditions while we blow money and have nothing to show for it,or even worse, when they have ten cars and three houses while so many have nothing. I am happy as long as I can comfortably pay my bills and take care of my children’s needs. I don't need or want to live an excessive lifestyle. I believe that people with less money are better able to see and appreciate the important things in life, more than someone who is blinded by dollar signs. I can think of many things that are valuable, but don’t come with a price tag.
Jennifer Wilson
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