Ever since the term “rich” was coined by human society, it seems that achieving this has become a common dream among people. Those who are not-so-wealthy dream of becoming rich, while those who are already rich work hard to maintain that status.
So why do people want to be rich? What makes money so appealing that virtually no one resists joining this rat race?
Money sets the world in motion. Some may not agree with this but it is a reality in the current world that we are living. Having money is equivalent to having power. With enough cash at your disposal, you can have better control over your life, and a certain degree of control over your surroundings. Money opens many doors in a world where almost anything can be bought.
But despite the comfort and convenience that money brings into our lives, we still often hear stories about unhappy millionaires. News about rich people being involved with drug abuse, depression, and even suicide cases. This, in turn, creates several misconceptions and worries whether chasing after riches is as rewarding as many claim it to be.
We, do not believe that money is entirely to blame for a person’s failure to achieve happiness. This article aims to bring a deeper understanding of why rich people fail to achieve happiness despite having an abundance of money.
Rich people are unhappy because they too, are human. The rich are susceptible to pain, fear, worry, negativity, and may still fall prey to a poor mindset towards money.
Having the luxury to spend in a carefree manner does not make life a straightforward joyride. Being rich also requires you to shoulder the responsibilities that come with the power of money. In a sense, having a “rich” status gives them more responsibility than poor people. Having money, power, and status allows a person to have more influence on their surroundings. Aside from the responsibility of avoiding falling off the status quo, rich people are also shouldering the moral obligations to use their influences responsibly.
“With great power comes great responsibility.”
–Uncle Ben Parker from Spiderman
Again, the rich are still human at the end of the day. Being in the upper echelon of society does not change the fact they are still prone to making mistakes and that they are as vulnerable as any other person. On the contrary, having more money and responsibility makes each error more consequential. That is why rich people feel more pressured to avoid bad decisions.
However, aside from the pressure and responsibility that comes with having money, there is a much bigger reason why rich people find it difficult to achieve happiness. They have a lousy mindset towards money.
Knowing how to make money is different from knowing how to use it for your happiness. One area where some rich people fall short is in having ideas on how to properly use their resources to create happiness for themselves.
There’s no need to look at “does money make you happy” statistics to prove this. At the end of the day, people who are rich but not happy often means that they are viewing & spending money the “wrong way”. Here are some reasons why rich people are unhappy despite having plenty of money at their disposal.
Celebrities on Being Rich But Not Happy + Giving Advice
Table of Contents
Regardless if you’re rich or poor, having unmet expectations brings unhappiness. Expectations involving money are no different. Even in this age where there are a lot of successful millionaires sharing the secrets to the right mindset about money, there are still many misconceptions about how money and happiness works.
One common expectation about money is that it creates a linear path to happiness and that money solves everything. However, once the realization hits that this is just wishful thinking it can be unnerving especially to rich people whose lives revolve around money.
Modern age thinking tells us that money is just a tool to achieve happiness and it should not dictate decisions if your purpose is to find happiness.
Let’s take a look at this from a scientific perspective. Money is a symbol of potential, therefore it represents potential energy. If you recall what your Physics teacher told you, potential energy doesn’t just convert to kinetic energy by itself, same as how money does not automatically equate to happiness.
Every potential requires force to set it in motion, and what better force is there than your mind?
Regardless of your financial status, it is your thoughts that drive the potential of money in motion. Having the right mindset towards money can make a poor person appreciate life more which in turn makes them happier. Whereas their rich counterparts with a crappy mindset is left sulking in misery.
What are you purchasing with money?
When it comes to the significance of money in our daily lives, most people only associate its use with basically two things. A means to cover living expenses, and material things. But for the rich, having and making money is a symbol of both status and power.
That is why most rich people struggle into keeping their status by finding more ways to make more money. Their goal is limited to avoiding falling from that status quo. This mindset depreciates the true potential of what money can bring into their lives.
Imagine if you use that money to buy the freedom to use your own time as you please? Could you spend your money to immerse yourself in experiences that create awesome memories that last forever? Or use that money to change this world for the better and touch lives while leaving your name in people’s hearts in the process? Having so much money, it wouldn’t be impossible for you to go big and immortalize your name in history.
Having so many doors of possibility available to you is one of the privileges of being rich. If you’re not happy despite having so much money, it can only mean that you are not using money to its full potential.
Being rich is not just about having an abundance of money but having the freedom to use the money to make your life worthwhile.
One of the most important things that the Holy Bible keeps telling us is to steer away from the love of money. This is something that we wholeheartedly agree to. When your happiness relies upon having financial gains and when you feel grieved whenever you spend it, that is an undeniable sign that you love money. People with more money to love, aka the rich, often fall prey to this pitfall of unhappiness.
Love can be directly proportional to happiness. And by loving money, you are putting your happiness into a piece of paper. Relying on money for happiness wastes your opportunity to create something more significant and more impactful for your life. Yes. Money holds value and it holds potential. Yet, being unable to part from it turns all that potential to stone, or paper to be more precise.
An unjustified attachment to money may also cause you to deprive yourself of necessities. Though saving is not a bad habit to have, your basic needs should never be compromised for the sake of having extra pieces of paper in your wallet (or e-wallet). Instead… treat yourself! Enjoy some good food and buy yourself something nice to wear from time to time. You’ll be surprised how happier you’ll feel just by doing simple things like this.
Looking at these reasons why some rich people can be unhappy, it becomes easier to relate to… even if you’re still far away from being a bona fide millionaire. The truth is, regardless of your financial status or how much money you have in your bank account, the path to happiness remains the same for everyone.
Money alone can take us so far in our pursuit of happiness. From there on out, ultimately… true happiness must be found from something deeper, something inside of us.
Do you know other interesting reasons why rich people fail in their pursuit of happiness? Let us know in the comments below.
