subject: About Wealth And Happiness [print this page] How much land a person needs? How much land can make him feel satisfied and happy? Or how much money a person needs? How much money is enough to make him feel happy and satisfied? Such problems, after the first day when they were proposed, have lingered over peoples mind and become tangled for a hundred years, however, there has never been an answer convincing enough to everyone. It is obvious that in the process of chasing wealth of a person or a country, this question can never be avoided. Today, our wealth has been immeasurable, while almost people of all social classes lack a sense of happiness. Therefore, when the old questions have been repeated, they appear even more harsh, urgent and aggressive.
Since the adaptation of the reforming and opening up policy, there is a fanatic desire for wealth in the whole country in China, from top to bottom. However the single value of being money-oriented makes the process of wealth accumulation which was originally deserving praise look so stupid and short-sighted, with the obvious disastrous consequence. In order to get money, some even ignore the rules, the morals, and the bottom lines. Whats more terrible and desperate is that people have become accustomed to this ignorance. Therefore, of we uphold the creed that to be rich is the biggest moral, we are destined to be slapped by history and would suffer a crushing defeat.
When this concept of wealth spreads to the area of investment, some try to grab the wealth through some inappropriate ways into the market, such as to make fast bucks out of the real estate, out of the mung beans, of out the garlic etc. Peoples complex mentality is subtly refracted through these phenomena, and wealth has make it difficult for people to calm down. What is the status of our lives? The poor are complaining about their poverty while the rich are worrying about being rich. The soaring wealth does not bring people happiness, a sense of belonging or dignity as they have expected to.
We have to rethink the question as how to become happy. What has make us feel gratified is that now people of different strata, different identity have all begun to think about this question from different angles. With their own efforts, they try to get rid of the drawbacks. They are no longer depending on the money as the first criteria, but have restored it into one of the many ways to find happiness.
Happiness lies not in how much wealth is but in whether the wealth owner can consciously restraint his desire, not focusing on how to spend money. Li Ka-shing once said that in his opinion the happiest thing is that an old married couple could open a shop together and they would count the money in the light after the closing.
To reconstruct a healthy and reasonable concept of wealth involves efforts from people of all levels of society.
