Would you choose happiness over money or money over happiness? These are different concepts that elicit different opinions from people. Money can buy you happiness, but it won’t give you happiness that can heal like the happiness that you gain without it. Money can give you the happiness you want, but how much money would you need in order to achieve the happiness that you want?
Years before, Scrooge had the happiness that he had wanted with the love of his life, but money ruined it for him. As everyone knows, Scrooge then became greedy for money, lost everything that gave him happiness, and ended up alone. Wealth can give you happiness for only a short amount of time. In the end, you die, and you die lonely. Being rich can give you so many things, but in the end you’ll want more and slowly lose your happiness to greed.
Oak Forest student, Nick Alaska, said, “ Money can buy you happiness, but when the money runs out you’ll have nothing left.” Everyone needs money to get by in life, but many people would rather be lonely and rich than satisfied with their money and happy life with loved ones. People with wealth often develop paranoia and trust issues, wondering whether people are with them just for the money rather than the person. Another student, Yoyo, said, “Everyone at the end of the day needs money but I’d rather be happy and poor than a Scrooge.”
Even as a joke, many people would pick money, but once they have money, it might be the worst thing they could have picked. Money, even if it is forever, is not the same thing as happiness. Eventually, money may be our main companion, while others experience joy in the company of others. We underestimate happiness, which makes life enjoyable. Even if money can buy happiness, the experience is fleeting.
