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Old 03-07-2008, 04:00 PM   #13 (permalink)
Jinn
Lover - Protector - Teacher
 
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Location: Seattle, WA
Quote:
I believe you believe that. I also believe you might be right. Happiness is something each person has to define for them self. What makes you happy may in fact not make me happy. The likewise is also true
You know what, I was being an ass when I made that generalization. I think you're right too. I know for me that it's linear, because I've (too) have read countless stories of millioniares who become intensely unhappy and/or end up in terrible debt, millions of dollars in the negative after being tens or hundreds of millions in the positive.

That said, I don't think I'd have an issue responsibly saving/investing/using millions of dollars, nor do I think that the things I'd buy (or sponsor) would bring me anything but additional unhappiness.

For example;

Being able to donate millions of dollars to the EFF in their fight for our fair-use rights and the broken patent system would make me VERY happy. Every day they won a case, settled a lawsuit or made the RIAA/MPAA pay, I'd get a burst of happiness. I can get a semblance of happiness donating $25 every year to that cause, but knowing that my MILLIONS was actually having a noticeable effect would make me happier in the traditional sense.

Likewise, if I were able to fund the TFP in such a way that it would never go away, no matter how many years from now everyone abandoned "this Internet", that would make me happy.

Or donating it to Feminst and egalitarian causes.

Most importantly, knowing that I could invest responsibily (even 5% of 2 million would be enough to meet my current quality of life, with INTEREST only) and provide an exceptional quality of life for myself and those I care for would bring a daily dose of happiness.

I'm not unhappy at all now, but I know that the additional bursts of joy could do nothing but increase my happiness, not decrease it.
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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel
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