Imagine there was a little red pill you could take that would make you content and happy all day, everyday for the rest of your life, no matter what your situation. If you took the pill, you would always be content and blissful in any situation. Now...Imagine someone offered you 500 million dollars for you to NOT take the pill. Which would you choose? It almost seems like no brainer than everyone should choose the pill, but when I was asked the same question, my brain seemed to scream that i should take the money instead.
Happiness cannot be found from the Brinks truck backing up to your door and dropping off $500M. However, if you accomplished or achieved something that allowed you to earn $500M then you stand an excellent chance of finding happiness but more from the accomplishment than the money. One of the happiest times of my life was the first time I drove to my local community college and stroked a check for $2,000 as a scholarship for a needy student. I was giving up money so why was I so happy? Your poll is confusing cause and effect.
happiness would be good, i would probably go with it.. but in addition i would like to know my life expectancy. i don't want to die fucking happy one week after the pill. gotta know a bit more,before i can figure out my risk\reward ratio on other hand (like the1 pointed out)-helping people,who is in need does make your happy too..with 500M i can help a lot of good people.. it's what most likely i would do, if i ever hit the jackpot in powerball i'm not a greedy wall street fucks,who probably would spend good chunk of it on new G5 and another mansion..
i would take money. money can buy that pill that makes you content and blissful in any situation. it already exists. its called prozak.
With the pill I will get happiness. For myself. Nothing will change in the world around me. It is like taking some heavy drugs that give you the illusion that everything is ok around you. Even if you live in a world of crap, hate and lies. With money, you have lots of power in your hands. You can drive around in a Ferrari and have fun in the pool with some nameless girls. But it can also give you the power to change something in the world. It is in your hands. You can do many good things with money. Can buy food for those who have nothing to eat. Can give a good life to those that you love. Can give money for the operation to that little girl who would die without this help. You can do many good things with money. You dont even need 500 millions. Even with 1000 $ you can start and bring light outside in the darkness, bring a little bit hope to those who have nothing. To me, this brings real happiness. Happiness that no drug or pill in the world can cause in my head.
I have no money and I am not happy, so I would take the money to see if I helps. Having even less money would make me more unhappy so having more money would make me more happy, at least thats what I think today.
..."Money can't buy happiness, but neither can poverty"... --- Leo Rosten This is my way of thinking! Enough not to worry about it ... but not too much that you need to worry about what to do with it
I agree that being happy strictly for oneself is a rather limited goal. More like a narcissistic one. Money doesn't necessarily buy happiness. There are some diseases no amount of money can cure (Alzheimer's for one). But there's a lot you could do with that amount of money that can affect others in a positive way. Ultimately, we all end up dead and in the ground (or as ashes). The choice boils down to a tombstone that says either "I was happy." or "I helped make other people happy." I'd take the money.
It all depends on your perception about what makes you happy. What if you had the choice between attending Harvard or the University of Chicago, for example, to study cancer biology and hopefully someday develop a treatment that benefits mankind or you could simply take the $500M and buy a yacht and sail up and down the West Coast eating strawberries and drinking fine wine with naked women everywhere...what would you choose? If you understand the behavior and values of mankind you'll quickly realize you'll grow tired of the yacht experience but the quest for better treatments to fight cancer will challenge you for the rest of your life. Now that, to me, would be the finest form of happiness. You can keep the $500M. There are books to be read and experiments to be run.