does money buy happiness?
After 23 years of living, my answer has varied. However i never strayed too far from "Yes" as my answer.
In Chinese class, the teacher asked if money could buy happiness. She called on me first, and I just said yes. She proceeded to ask everyone else in the room, most said no.
I'm on the younger side of my classmates and the only American, so maybe I just sounded ignorant. But was wondering if those classmates genuinely believed the answer is "no" or if they said "no" because that's the "right answer".
Either way my answer is still YES.
When your overpriced shoddy apartment smells like urine, the answer is yes.
When the dream school you want to apply for costs $70,000 in tuition and you can only borrow $50,000 max, the answer is yes.
When the cost of a frugal grocery haul exceeds your budget and you have to use a credit card, the answer is yes.
I will say that comfortable living, education, and food are things bought by money and are not literally "happiness". But Tuesday's Child would be the happiest woman in the world if she had the money to not worry about such things.
People do crazy, immoral, and/or degrading things for money. It can buy you a happy or comfortable life. It's something people have been willing to die for for eternity. But humans are so quick to shame others for that desperation, even if all parties involved are in agreement.
I'd be lying if I say I didn't consider side gigs that fall into one of those three categories. I'm thinking about it again. I won't do anything, but I fantasize about it. I also can't help but think that if I had pretty privilege, would I have an easier time in life? Certainly, right?
I really want to go to grad school, but that debt will feel like a perpetual migraine. I mean, seventy thousand American dollars of debt??? That's double an average persons net yearly salary. I don't think I can do it, especially after paying off my undergrad loans. And that makes me sad. Money does buy me happiness.
I miss my optimism.