Money = Success? Moved from Pannon Thread

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Re: Thank you all - shop closing - pannon moto sports inc.

Money may not always equal success.

It's a good way to judge success from the outside IE: He makes $200K a year so "he is so successful" but if the individuals field caps at $300K or more then within that field the individual (amongst his peers) may be seen as a middle management pawn who is never going to get past working in X field. That person may hate his job and feel he is never going anywhere due to failure of his own, lack of ability to progress or being "that guy" he is considered a joke in the industry. Watching people with less time in the field pass him in promotion or being the guy who is always stuck with the **** jobs and not part of the inner circle....

Success to me is reaching your target within your career.

So, a guy who makes under $80K might seem to be just your average middle class Joe but if he got to exactly where he wanted to be within an organization or went further than he expected to go and is respected/admired by his peers..... may be successful.

Is that the point of this thread?

Money = happiness can be a factual statement if money makes you happy and you are happy doing what you do to get it.

I would admit that I am a selfish materialistic person (not extremely so but compared to others) who never got married or had kids because I want to spend my money on Me. I also don't want to be responsible for anyone else and like the freedom of being able to pick up and move at the drop of a hat or just quit what I'm doing if I no longer like doing it.

I feel I'm successful in my line of work given my progression etc. but I'm sub $100K a year income (not including years that I am overseas) and quite happy.

Others would scoff at what I earn and form an opinion of my profession by generalizing. As someone said, having not walked a mile in my shoes.

Anyways, to me, you aren't successful if you aren't happy or, you never got to the point you wanted to get to in your field.
 
Re: Thank you all - shop closing - pannon moto sports inc.

ike said:
There are a lot of "ifs" there. On the other side of that coin, what if you lost that job (through company bankruptcy or whatever?) There goes your health insurance. If you had any previous medical issues, good luck finding affordable medical insurance. What if you hate your job, but you can't afford to leave it and find something else because the health insurance at another company is not as good as what you have? A lot of Americans talk about having the freedom to choose, but in a case such as this, that freedom may not present feasible options, so it becomes a prison.

It is all nice to say you can just come back to Canada, but what if that option was not available? Our system here is based on need, and not who has the fattest wallet. If your need for care warrants it, you go to the front of the line in Ontario as well.
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There is private healthcare here, I use it. Medcan does for me in one day what canadas system takes 6 months to get done. So having money to pay extra does expedite the process sorry to tell you
 
Re: Thank you all - shop closing - pannon moto sports inc.

ike said:
Interesting thread.... just a couple of observations and questions that are sure to inflame someone....
  • When did "everyone out for themselves" become a nobler concept than "we're all in this together" and "helping your brother"? Isnt that a bit of a narcissistic worldview that is likely to cause the income gap to widen and the devolution of our society?
  • If someone doesn't "get" the point you are trying to make, the fault lies with you and not the other person. There is little to be gained by resorting to bullying and denigrating the other person.
  • If you don't know how to spell or even the correct word to use, it might be best to NOT criticize the spelling and word use of other people.
  • How can you criticize others until you have walked a mile in their shoes?
  • If you think that having more money means you get "better" health care, then perhaps the USA is a society that better reflects your ideals. Au revoir! Write back in 20 years when your health isn't so great, you can't afford to buy medical insurance, and you are teetering on bankruptcy to pay your medical bills.
  • What is so wrong with making a decent living by working decent hours? Why should someone have to sacrifice their family, their health and ultimately their happiness by working too much? There is something drastically askew here.
Let the games carry on!
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I would say more people work longer hours on the lower end of the earning curve than the upper end. For example I don't work Saturday Sunday or nights but I see road crews out on the highways slugging it out at all hours in all types of weather. Who's working harder? A guy in a suit working long hours or a guy digging a ditch in the winter? I would say the guy digging the ditch has it a lot harder for a lot less money
 
Re: Thank you all - shop closing - pannon moto sports inc.

I used to equate high wages with success, my mantra was "money won't buy happiness but it allows you to live miserably in a much nicer part of town". I was making good coin in the military and then as a Millwright after I retired, but the stress level of the jobs played havoc with my personal life. Basically, I was making lots of money but I wasn't happy. After a couple of life changing incidents I ended up shelving the Millwright ticket and now drive a truck for a living. I'm making way less than what I did as a skilled tradesman, but... I'm way happier. The job isn't exactly a cakewalk, but I enjoy it much more than any of my previous careers and the reduced stress has ended up strengthening my marriage and friendships. So now I'm of the opinion that it isn't money that matters, it's how happy you are with your job and your personal life. Success is highly dependant upon how you view your world.
 
Re: Thank you all - shop closing - pannon moto sports inc.

Gummiente said:
I used to equate high wages with success, my mantra was "money won't buy happiness but it allows you to live miserably in a much nicer part of town". I was making good coin in the military and then as a Millwright after I retired, but the stress level of the jobs played havoc with my personal life. Basically, I was making lots of money but I wasn't happy. After a couple of life changing incidents I ended up shelving the Millwright ticket and now drive a truck for a living. I'm making way less than what I did as a skilled tradesman, but... I'm way happier. The job isn't exactly a cakewalk, but I enjoy it much more than any of my previous careers and the reduced stress has ended up strengthening my marriage and friendships. So now I'm of the opinion that it isn't money that matters, it's how happy you are with your job and your personal life. Success is highly dependant upon how you view your world.
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good for you! If you could do the same job with same stress and same hours but for more money you would be that much happier I bet
 
Re: Thank you all - shop closing - pannon moto sports inc.

sonnythebull said:
good for you! If you could do the same job with same stress and same hours but for more money you would be that much happier I bet
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Probably, but in all my experiences I have yet to come across a job that has all of those factors. :)
 
People get to stuck on job titles or salaries.

I know a few guys up north that have bank accounts in the millions-- yes plural

yet they all work what we would call "joe" jobs that only last 6-8 months and they then collect UI for the other 4-6 months, they spend that time out in the bush, hunting, fishing, 4wheeling or just sledding.

If you meet this guys you would think they are just a bunch of country rubes, but they put their time in when they were younger, kids are all moved away either in school or married with families.

Too me, thats sucess, they dont have to work, yet still do and enjoy what they do, they have time have every year to do what they love, while the rest of us suckers have 2-4 weeks vacation.

Look at european countries, for the most part, they dont make as much as we do, live in smaller apt/condo's/houses, drive smaller cars, consume a lot less then we do, yet for the most part people are happy. They get 25 vacation days a year and dont stress like we do. They are healthier and divorce rates a little lower then north americans.

they seem to have a much better balance over there in terms of work/family/stress etc..
 
twinn said:
People get to stuck on job titles or salaries.

I know a few guys up north that have bank accounts in the millions-- yes plural

yet they all work what we would call "joe" jobs that only last 6-8 months and they then collect UI for the other 4-6 months, they spend that time out in the bush, hunting, fishing, 4wheeling or just sledding.

If you meet this guys you would think they are just a bunch of country rubes, but they put their time in when they were younger, kids are all moved away either in school or married with families.

Too me, thats sucess, they dont have to work, yet still do and enjoy what they do, they have time have every year to do what they love, while the rest of us suckers have 2-4 weeks vacation.

Look at european countries, for the most part, they dont make as much as we do, live in smaller apt/condo's/houses, drive smaller cars, consume a lot less then we do, yet for the most part people are happy. They get 25 vacation days a year and dont stress like we do. They are healthier and divorce rates a little lower then north americans.

they seem to have a much better balance over there in terms of work/family/stress etc..
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I work with a bunch of "Joes" up north on a project I am currently on. And I can tell you for those 4-6 months buddy works 12+ hours a day through weekends 21 days at a time and then 1 week off. Some guys do 5 weeks on 2 weeks off. That "Joe" is putting in mad hours and that's how they bank all their millions. A house up here costs **** all $50,000 for a NICE house. I saw a beat up house here with like 20 acres for $20,000. And like I said before you gotta work those hours at first to get ahead. Now that they are retired they are more relaxed, but when they are on site they are still working hard hours. No one ever gets something for nothing. Being out here has intrigued me to this way of life.

As an aside one ironworker up here has a trailer and a truck with a little canoe. Just lives out of the trailer, and catches fish and other small stuff to eat. That is when he isn't staying at a camp job like the one we are at.
 
twinn said:
People get to stuck on job titles or salaries.

I know a few guys up north that have bank accounts in the millions-- yes plural

yet they all work what we would call "joe" jobs that only last 6-8 months and they then collect UI for the other 4-6 months, they spend that time out in the bush, hunting, fishing, 4wheeling or just sledding.

If you meet this guys you would think they are just a bunch of country rubes, but they put their time in when they were younger, kids are all moved away either in school or married with families.

Too me, thats sucess, they dont have to work, yet still do and enjoy what they do, they have time have every year to do what they love, while the rest of us suckers have 2-4 weeks vacation.

Look at european countries, for the most part, they dont make as much as we do, live in smaller apt/condo's/houses, drive smaller cars, consume a lot less then we do, yet for the most part people are happy. They get 25 vacation days a year and dont stress like we do. They are healthier and divorce rates a little lower then north americans.

they seem to have a much better balance over there in terms of work/family/stress etc..
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Eurozone is teetering on bankruptcy due to the lifestyle. Watch The news.
As for the joes you mention with Millions in the bank and they collect EI...total idiots. Although I highly doubt they have millions in the bank. Lotta people talk crap
 
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sonnythebull said:
Eurozone is teetering on bankruptcy due to the lifestyle. Watch The news.
As for the joes you mention with Millions in the bank and they collect EI...total idiots. Although I highly doubt they have millions in the bank. Lotta people talk crap
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On some of these jobs foremans are making around $200-250K a year with all their over time on their already high wages. And when they live on site here there are no expenses flights, food, stay etc is all paid for so all that cash is going straight in the bank. It's plausable after 20 years to save up a couple million dollars working this way. Hell even the young ironworks make $72/h on overtime. And there is no shortage of O/T since Friday, Saturday and Sunday is over time in addition to the O/T they do during the other days.
 
This thread reads like a bunch of 16 year old bragging about how much money their dads make.

I, for one, fall in the camp that money doesn't equal happiness. There's more to life than money. Of course, I'm not poor, and make a pretty good salary (well, I make less than 100K, which as it turns out is not very much; except when teachers make 80K, which is a lot). No, the act of making money doesn't make me miserable. I took a job with a considerably lower salary than is typical for my line of work because, well, there are things this job gives me that money never will. Among them, satisfaction and pride, and it impresses chicks. My proudest days are ones where I help people significantly, or where people I look up to tell me I've done a good job. They are not the days when the paycheque comes in, or even when a pay raise or bonus boosts that monthly cheque. I walk out of work feeling like I'm ten feet tall on those proud days.

It's like beauty when it comes to finding a partner. Sure, looks matter, to an extent. My girlfriend is no model, but still quite pretty (if you ask me) and cute as a button. But to say that I'd be happier with my relationship if my girlfriend looked like Katy Perry's long-lost twin? Not only is that question utterly contemptible and moronic, it's also offensive. I don't need to wake up to Katy Perry's boobs in the morning to be happy, and any kind of person who sets that as their standard of happiness for waking up in the morning is a husk of a human being. Sure, I'd like to give them a test ride, but I can live without it.

So I await the inevitable response: "If you found $50,000 on the ground tomorrow, you'd just walk on by and not pick it up?" or "Well, why don't you give me your paycheque and we'll see how happy you are after." Well, whoever asks this question is an inbred mongoloid with too many chromosomes and not enough brain cells. Go find something worthwhile to do with your life. If, at the end of your search, you haven't found something that makes you say "An extra $50,000 wouldn't make this thing right here any better", you are either not looking hard enough or you just suck as a human being.

Which is a way of saying, of course I'd pick up the money, I just graduated from school and it's larger than my net worth. Yes, it'd make buying a car easier, though I'd still stick with something small and practical, as I'm searching for right now. It'd make furnishing my new place easier, but I wouldn't furnish my house with anything significantly more expensive than I already would have. It would make buying a new bike next year easier; but I wouldn't go outside of the price range that I was already looking at. But you know what it wouldn't do? It wouldn't make my jokes funnier. It won't make me better looking, or my dick bigger, or make me better in bed. It wouldn't make the time I spend with my friends more memorable. It wouldn't make being drunk with your friends any more enjoyable. It wouldn't make beer taste any better. It won't prevent my **** from stinking. It won't make me not miss my girlfriend when we're apart. It won't give me any fun stories to share. It's me and me alone that is the most important part in all of these things. Except for dick size, we're all kind of stuck there.
 
dpmachine said:
It's like beauty when it comes to finding a partner. Sure, looks matter, to an extent. My girlfriend is no model, but still quite pretty (if you ask me) and cute as a button. But to say that I'd be happier with my relationship if my girlfriend looked like Katy Perry's long-lost twin? Not only is that question utterly contemptible and moronic, it's also offensive. I don't need to wake up to Katy Perry's boobs in the morning to be happy, and any kind of person who sets that as their standard of happiness for waking up in the morning is a husk of a human being. Sure, I'd like to give them a test ride, but I can live without it.
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I see what you're saying about not needing to have a perfect life, but just that it has to be perfect enough. But I wonder if you'd be just as hesitant if Katy Perry's long-lost twin was smarter, funnier, & had more personality than your current gf. Basically, she's better in every way, and she happens to be hotter. So the only remaining factor would be whether or not you'd be willing to settle just because of history. And if you're happy with settling, then you don't need to jump ship. But if you do feel like you're settling, then you wouldn't be having the best for yourself (and wouldn't be happier).

That's the appeal of a bigger salary.
 
Re: Thank you all - shop closing - pannon moto sports inc.

ike said:
There are a lot of "ifs" there. On the other side of that coin, what if you lost that job (through company bankruptcy or whatever?) There goes your health insurance. If you had any previous medical issues, good luck finding affordable medical insurance. What if you hate your job, but you can't afford to leave it and find something else because the health insurance at another company is not as good as what you have? A lot of Americans talk about having the freedom to choose, but in a case such as this, that freedom may not present feasible options, so it becomes a prison.

It is all nice to say you can just come back to Canada, but what if that option was not available? Our system here is based on need, and not who has the fattest wallet. If your need for care warrants it, you go to the front of the line in Ontario as well.
Click to expand...

there were no Ifs for me. For a person making 100K getting good insurance is not an issue privately either. If you get layed off you can contine coverage. You could always buy cheaper coverage for a couple hundred a month to cover the necesities. As a Canadian you could always come back to Canada.......no worries.
 
knowledge said:
I see what you're saying about not needing to have a perfect life, but just that it has to be perfect enough. But I wonder if you'd be just as hesitant if Katy Perry's long-lost twin was smarter, funnier, & had more personality than your current gf. Basically, she's better in every way, and she happens to be hotter. So the only remaining factor would be whether or not you'd be willing to settle just because of history. And if you're happy with settling, then you don't need to jump ship. But if you do feel like you're settling, then you wouldn't be having the best for yourself (and wouldn't be happier).

That's the appeal of a bigger salary.
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All you're saying is more money is better than less money. The argument some people are making however is that money = happiness. Of course it's such a retarded notion, but not so much that they will stop saying it! And you know some of them belive it to be true. Craziness.
 
I think that financial *stability* means a lot in terms of overall "happiness". Obviously we all need food and a roof over our heads. But oodles of money? It sounds great but I've seen with my own eyes that life can get a lot more complicated. There are so many influencing factors that it's impossible to make blanket statements about money's ultimate influence on the very personal notion of "happiness".

I'm finally in a position of financial stability and I'm happy as a clam, because I can finally focus on what I really value - starting a family. But that's my own definition, and I don't expect that everyone else would satisfied with the same life goals.
 
fastar1 said:
All you're saying is more money is better than less money. The argument some people are making however is that money = happiness. Of course it's such a retarded notion, but not so much that they will stop saying it! And you know some of them belive it to be true. Craziness.
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I just don't get how Moreno finds it so hard to adapt a "to each; their own" mantra about happiness. I'm in the same camp as him, but I can understand how other people are happier without it/with way less. If he can't accept your example about Mother Teresa, I don't think there's much else that you can say. lol
 
Re: Thank you all - shop closing - pannon moto sports inc.

murf said:
there were no Ifs for me. For a person making 100K getting good insurance is not an issue privately either. If you get layed off you can contine coverage. You could always buy cheaper coverage for a couple hundred a month to cover the necesities. As a Canadian you could always come back to Canada.......no worries.
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OHIP coverage is not like citizenship. You have to be in Ontario half the year to be eligible for it. Otherwise you have to be in ON for three months to get OHIP back.
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