[Fluff time] Do you believe you would have a better Christmas as a stressed out wealthy person or a content pauper?

Well, I’ve never been rich but I have been poor in monetary terms. Never poor in spirit or joy. So I will bet on the poor. The one good thing about being poor is everyone who is in the same boat as you accepts you as you are. There is no cause for pretense to get something from you. So you know the people by your side don’t have a motive other than they like you. Really like you. And those that don’t leave. Nothing to keep them around you. You still have stresses, like paying the bills, keeping employed, surviving. But there is also a larger sense of community.

When you don’t have much you are happy with what you have. You are grateful for your meals, a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear and a job to go too. (not all poor people of course and the same goes for all rich people) But it seems the more people have the more they are always trying to get because they are never satisfied.

Some of my happiest moments where when I was at my poorest. Living on change till payday. Just needing enough money to buy some bread and eggs and balony sandwich meat. I remember not being sad because there was nothing to eat, but being happy that I was able to find enough lose change to buy those things since payday was 2 days away. It still makes me laugh at the joy I had. You would’ve thought I won the lottery. My first xmas there, I was able to buy a small turkey and make some potatoes from a potato mix. We got some sodas and you would think I made a meal for king, the way our guest gushed all over the food. We played music and danced and played games. Our guest bought the booze so I’m sure that had something to do with it. But everyone was happy and the next day they said they had the time of their lives. They were almost as poor as we were. We lived in a small unheated trailer but with so many guest, the trailer was warm. It was my first xmas from home and my first xmas with my husband and I was thrilled.

I know how to be happy with what I have, so long as everyone I love is healthy and happy too. You learn to live in the moments that are big or small.

Being wealthy makes Christmas much less stressful…best part is giving away a lot of stuff and cash to those who need it more than I do.

My family aren’t bags of shit so they know if I am broke and understand if they get basic stuff. Luckily I am not broke and went all out this year. They are also getting a nice card saying that they will not be receiving gifts the next four years since I want the economy to tank under Orange Hitler.

And I want to add. Liberals tend to think that small gestures can promote change. My not driving for 40 years could save Florida for a few seconds.

Then you have repubs that think that unless there is a immediate solution it is not worth doing. And China is worse so let your kids drink lead!

Hard to say.

This year I didn’t buy one gift. No stress trying to figure out what to buy who. No fighting crowds at the store. I was very happy with that scenario. But, I can afford to buy gifts (although this year money is tight in terms of earnings, but we have savings) and being able to afford them and choosing not to do the whole gift thing is psychologically different than not being able to financially.

The gift giving at Christmas is always uncomfortable for me. I didn’t grow up with it as a little girl, I didn’t see my parents giving gifts to each other on the holidays. It wasn’t until I was 16 that I knew that some families buy gifts for all its members, including adult to adult, at Christmas time.

At the same time, if a person feels the need to give gifts, being a stressed out wealthy person is likely the better choice. You might be stressed, but you can do what you feel obligated to do. You can even hire people to help you with it.

Having money does not automatically make things stressful, @Hypocrisy_Central, the point with these Solstice celebrations is to find some joy in the the short, cold, dark days. I wish for you peace of the season and the warmth and love you find in your faith.

How many paupers are “content”? Is it possible to be satisfied while hungry, pleased when homeless or living in squalor, and cheerful about going without health care and other necessities?

Bob Cratchit and his family were content; all they needed was love. They were also fictitious.

I’ve had money. I’ve also had next-to-nothing, worried about my checking account balance scraping zero and how I might buy groceries. There’s no joy from poverty.

Studies show the wealthy are happier then the rest of the population, but the premise of this Q I guess is assuming the wealthy person is stressed and the poor person is happy-go-lucky. That can happen. Just because it’s statistically less likely doesn’t mean it can’t be the case.

Need you ask? I am NOT the type to let money rule my world but I’d be a hypocrite to say I wouldn’t mind being a content pauper! I don’t want to be stinking filthy rich but I’d love my dignity intact and that unfortunately comes with a certain amount of wealth. Wrong as it may be to admit it, THIS world requires money to be merciful to its inhabitants.

Wealthy, is a relative term, We are all wealthy in different ways. Some are wealthy because they have money, while some others are wealthy because they have friends.

So, if you ask me would my Christmas be better if I were wealthy or poor, we would first need to define what do we mean by “wealthy” and “poor”.

Nevertheless, have a happy holiday, y’all, wealthy or poor, whatever is the definition of these words for you.

I have only ever been poor. I assume life would be much better if I were wealthy.

They say “more money, more problems. ” I’d like to test that theory. Because I doubt it….

To the stressed-out wealthy person, Christmas is just another day, but the stress is there before and after.

To those poor in material things but rich in spirit, Christmas is another day to celebrate life’s wonder.

I’m just really sad because I pretty much couldn’t buy anyone a gift this year…

My friends and family are SO important to me. But I have been super poor the last few months…

They gave me gifts,but I couldn’t give them anything. I just hated myself this Christmas…

If I were wealthy, I would at least be able to give more…

I would trade all my gifts for the ability to give…

The wealthy seem to have it good. At least someone is living well…..

@MrGrimm888 Was the gift giving done at Christmas dinner with everyone present and everyone opened their gifts in front of everyone? Would you have preferred the family open gifts once everyone left in the privacy of their home? I’m not keen at all with opening gifts in front of a crowd. I think it’s stressful for the giver and the receiver. It’s different if it’s one on one. Then you wouldn’t have been watching everyone thanking everyone for their gift, but you were left out.

I don’t like it at baby showers, Christmas, thank goodness they don’t do it at weddings. Some people do it at birthdays some don’t.

^The gift giving was done last night. I hid in the backyard making a fire for all our guests.
I opened my presents this morning,alone….

I was too embarrassed to be present during the opening. But everyone seems to have had a good gift , so I’m happy for them at least.

That fucking hurricane Mathew fucked me good financially….

Hopefully I’ll be doing better next year. I’ve had two big floods in October, in two years in a row. I’ve got nowhere to go but up.

I’m trying to start my own business. Maybe I’ll be rewarded like @Cruiser. I intend to work hard to get my ship righted…

^^It’s in your head, but I completely understand. I’m sure nobody was annoyed at you that you couldn’t buy gifts, rather I’m sure they all understood and would hate that you felt badly.

@zenvelo You are partially right on the former and as far as I am concerned you missed the mark on the latter as I am as humbled as ever and cherish Christmas today as much as the days I could ill afford Christmas. I don’t feel any better for giving as much as I did this year from the years of Christmas past where I gave as much as I could spare. It still feels joyful.

@johnpowell They are also getting a nice card saying that they will not be receiving gifts the next four years since I want the economy to tank under Orange Hitler.
Oy vey, and what if ”Orange Hitler” (if that is what you want to call him) has things so prosperous that $20 bills will be used as wallpaper, and you don’t give anything, then what? He may do more than Jezebel Hillary could ever have done even if you include her husband, it is a wait and see since none of the Democrats were clairvoyant enough to see the outcome of election night, forgive me if I am highly suspect on how they say the next four years will be.

@canidmajor Having money does not automatically make things stressful, @Hypocrisy_Central,…]
I do not believe I indicated that it did; now some might misinterpret it as that, but that is not what I said. I was speaking of those who were stressed but had a grip, or more money than Bubba Gump Shrimp. What would or cause them to be stressed was unimportant to the question, so I did not bother with it.

@Love_my_doggie How many paupers are “content”? Is it possible to be satisfied while hungry, pleased when homeless or living in squalor, and cheerful about going without health care and other necessities?
A month back or so there was quite a heated thread here around some guy who lived close to what you said and was content to merely exist and smoke camel dung or something. I have known some homeless people that seem quite content to live out of the shopping cart. Are they true, fooling themselves, fooling us, I do not know. The fact they are not trying tooth and nail, makes me wonder. In this area food is not an issue as if you know, you can have at least one hot meal a day seven days a week, and on somedays you can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner if you work it right. Hygiene kits, blankets, sleeping bags, bagged lunches; so many good-natured people around here give that stuff out like until it is as a dime for three dozen. Living in ultimate squalor as Brethren spoke of in 3rd world countries it may be different but even the poorest here state side has never experienced that level of poverty.

@Sneki95 So, if you ask me would my Christmas be better if I were wealthy or poor, we would first need to define what do we mean by “wealthy” and “poor”
By the details and spirit of this question wealth involves the capital or material possessions that gives you Buck Rodger’s net worth.

Oh. Then no. I’d rather be a pauper. Not that paupers are happy by default, but if we assume they are, then five me that bag of chips and my family and friends.

Stressed out wealthy. I’m sick and tired of worrying about money!

…has things so prosperous that $20 bills will be used as wallpaper,

You just described a rampant inflation so destructive that no one would be prosperous, we’d all be out of work.

^ [...You just described a rampant inflation so destructive that no one would be prosperous, we’d all be out of work.
Or so stink’n rich that people will have a pocket deep in C-notes that $20s will be the new buck.

And, @Hypocrisy_Central, how sad you missed the point of my post to you which was contained in the last sentence.

False dichotomy in my opinion, as being poor generally causes extreme stress. But assuming some fantasy scenario in which these are my options, of course I’d rather be happy. Happiness is all that really matters at the end of the day. If you manage to be happy despite your circumstances sucking, does it really matter that your circumstances suck? And what’s the point in being rich if your riches didn’t bring you happiness?

^ And what’s the point in being rich if your riches didn’t bring you happiness?
Because you can be miserable on a sandy beach with your Prada shades and your Dolce Cabana sandals, thinking what you will order from room service in your $1,500 dollar-a-night suite that you drove up to in your Aston Martin, all the while bamboozling yourself that you are happy and enjoying life because you have it better off than Larry Lunchmeat who has not been able to take a vacation in 5 years even if it were staying in a budget motel in Modesto.

What is the point of having any of that stuff you just listed if it doesn’t bring you happiness? Why do we buy ourselves luxury items if not because we think it will make us happy?

^ Why do we buy ourselves luxury items if not because we think it will make us happy?
People buy things they don’t need and can’t afford to impress people they do not know.

Why do we want to impress people? Because we think their approval will make us happy. IMO our every action is motivated, in the end, by the goal of being happy.

@Mariah I think you have touched on a very real component of…I hate to use the word happiness as a lever in my comment…as true happiness is so much more than just someone else’s approval. I say this as I was a lone salesman at my company and over 16 years I can count on half a hand the time my then boss actually acknowledged my contributions to the success of our company. Yes I got raises, bonuses etc…but nothing had a greater impact upon me than those very few times he actually said or wrote how much my efforts were appreciated.

Now that I am that boss…I make every effort to acknowledge solid efforts at my company. I now realize that if you give someone a bonus and they glow for the moment. Give someone genuine praise and they glow for a lot longer.

Nowhere else does this dynamic play out more acutely than with your loved ones. When they say “you Rock”....nothing else matters as long as the praise is genuine and reciprocated. That is to me true happiness.