Earlier quoted context omitted.
is it capitalism or the fundamental emptiness of life?
Life isn't fundamentally empty. It's the philosophical underpinnings of profit-worship that make life seem empty.
Is that really true?
America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
21–30 of 475 posts
Re: America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
#22- He had received an offer at a start-up, and he would have loved to take it, but it paid half as much, and he felt locked into a lifestyle that made this pay cut impossible. “My wife laughed when I told her about it,” he said. Sounds like a good wife to me, and this "pay cut" is making 500k-600k instead of 1.2 million, what world are these people living in that you can't give up a job that you hate because you can't…
>what world are these people living in that you can't give up a job that you hate because you can't afford to live on 500-600k.
The one where you lock into a mortgage and a car that assumes a $1.2M salary to keep ahead of.
It's really easy to let your lifestyle expenses balloon, especially in a high-COL city where minor increases in living space/amenities can end up costing large amounts of money.
Re: America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
#23>“I feel like I’m wasting my life,” he told me. “When I die, is anyone going to care that I earned an extra percentage point of return? My work feels totally meaningless.” Capitalists are realizing the fundamental emptiness of capitalism. It's hard to have a sense of purpose when your entire life is spent making a number on a spreadsheet into a slightly larger number for the benefit of someone even more elite than yo…
If this is your thesis you’ll have to explain how e.g. Communism totally did not have this problem.
I don't see how that follows but I'll answer anyway. One main difference is that the economic gains in a hypothetical alternate economic system could be distributed to you, your peers, and the needy in a more humane fashion instead of the majority of the gains concentrating to the elite.
Re: America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
#24[deleted]
Re: America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
Life isn't fundamentally empty. It's the philosophical underpinnings of profit-worship that make life seem empty.
Life is fundamentally empty. Unless you're religious: you live for a while then you die. Maybe you successfully procreated, and your descendants live until something gets them too. Eventually climate change, or asteroids or supernova gets everyone left.
I don't see how being temporary means that a thing lacks meaning.
Re: America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
#26- He had received an offer at a start-up, and he would have loved to take it, but it paid half as much, and he felt locked into a lifestyle that made this pay cut impossible. “My wife laughed when I told her about it,” he said. Sounds like a good wife to me, and this "pay cut" is making 500k-600k instead of 1.2 million, what world are these people living in that you can't give up a job that you hate because you can't…
It’s not about living on 500k vs 1 million. It’s about much, much earlier retirement.
More likely it's about keeping up with the Joneses. If all your old school friends are making $5 million, it pains your status gland enough to "only" be making $1 million.
Re: America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
#27>“I feel like I’m wasting my life,” he told me. “When I die, is anyone going to care that I earned an extra percentage point of return? My work feels totally meaningless.” Capitalists are realizing the fundamental emptiness of capitalism. It's hard to have a sense of purpose when your entire life is spent making a number on a spreadsheet into a slightly larger number for the benefit of someone even more elite than yo…
is it capitalism or the fundamental emptiness of life?
[deleted]
Re: America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
#28So just now the NYTimes is finding out that money can't outright buy happiness?
It can most certainly buy happiness if money was the only issues. Many other issues are usually introduced such as being a workaholic and making yourself miserable, love issues, lack of wholesome friendships, etc.
Re: America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
#29- He had received an offer at a start-up, and he would have loved to take it, but it paid half as much, and he felt locked into a lifestyle that made this pay cut impossible. “My wife laughed when I told her about it,” he said. Sounds like a good wife to me, and this "pay cut" is making 500k-600k instead of 1.2 million, what world are these people living in that you can't give up a job that you hate because you can't…
Not sure how you're interpreting the "good wife" but I interpreted her reaction as laughing at the notion they could afford to live on anything less than his current 1.2m salary.
I believe OP is being sarcastic about "good wife".
Re: America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable
#30The article seems to be omitting an important piece of data: Are people who make more money less happy/equally happy/more happy than people who make less? It implies by its framing that they're less happy, but that's not actually supported by any actual data in the piece (though to be fair, on cursory googling I wasn't able to find any evidence one way or another).
> Are people who make more money less happy/equally happy/more happy than people who make less?
This is already known though. Its a curve. People who live in poverty (local standards) are unhappy, and happiness increases a lot till they have more breathing space. I'm not sure what exactly is the magic border where this doesn't count anymore but say it is 60k a year (in USA, which is a bit odd because living expenses vary a lot but hear me out). After that ceiling, the happiness does not increase much anymore.