Money doesn’t buy happiness; but it helps

Want to be happy? 

Find a way to do a little, make almost a lot, and you’ll be happy.  Seriously.

The idea that money can’t buy happiness is wrong.  But only partly.  

It’s really a fallacy that poor people tell other poor people to continue to make each other feel OK about the fact that they can barely afford tube socks.

Money can’t independently buy happiness.  There is more to life than money.  And there are other ways to secure happiness.  The problem is that in our culture, we’re programmed to be defined by our professions and belongings—which can only be attained by, you guessed it—money.

It starts in elementary school, really.  It’s never about creativity or the autonomy to dream.  It’s about the result of whether or not a kid did the math problem right.  Or, my personal favorite, “following directions.”

From jump-street, every drooling Sesame Street watcher is programmed to brace for the dog-eat-dog nature of money and statistical achievement.

But it’s not just about money.  Truth be told, it’s about doing nothing and making almost a lot.  Here’s some proof:

Here’s the “happiest” jobs in America:

Notice that a Real Estate Agent only makes mid-50’s money.  But, keep in mind, he or she gets to make his or her own schedule and most of the day is spent freely frolicking around the community.

The other three positions have something to do with “super” or “senior” type stuff.  Interesting that we long hypothesize that management doesn’t do much.  

Funny that management seems to love what they’re doing.

Flip the script.  Here’s the most “unhappy” jobs:

Wooooooah, wait.  Wait a mother-effing second.  TEACHER?  Teachers aren’t happy at work?

Well, let’s break it down.  Low pay; no ability to set any rules or personal standards; constant fear of being given a pay-cut or laid off; pressure from parents; legal ramifications to every word that is said in a 44 mile radius of a school; they constantly take order and have no freedom.  Yea, that’s probably enough to make it a little less rainbowish.

Isn’t it interesting that from a young age on, we’re taught to want to “help” people by doing things like teaching or nursing?

Wait.  Wait a minute.  Nurses are unhappy too? No way.  This is impossible.  Two of the most sought after gigs are actually two of the most miserable?

Well, nurses do actually have to do a lot of, um, work to do.  Along with the pressure of life and death stuff.  The fact that they’re the first layer of contact with sick and dying people and their respective stressed out and irrational families. On top of this, they work long shifts, take orders from everyone and have no autonomy.

Ever think that there’s a push in society to make sure people remain miserable?  It would explain why the fallacy of “helping” people is pushed so hard.

Isn’t it true that unhappy people spend more, work more to get more so they can spend more, and become more attractive to advertisers on the interwebs and television set simply because they’re looking to buy shit to make themselves feel better?

The other three on this list are minion positions in their respective fields. Clerk, customer service, and associate attorney (which is basically someone who is being treated like trash for the better part of two decades to try and make partner—a.k.a. one of the top seats where you get to have freedom, autonomy, and—let’s be honest—less actual work.

This group of jobs has some commonality in its misery.  They’re either stepping stones or products of someone who is too miserable to actually live outside of the perceived norm.

The honest truth here is that “helping” people through service jobs doesn’t make you happy.  Neither does “hard work.”  That’s something older miserable people tell future miserable people.

The key is to find as many ways as possible to be as free as possible to live exactly the way that you want to live.

Take it from T.I. and stop chasing paper: