100,000s of people in South Korea live in tiny underground apartments [video]

At least 50% of one's mood comes genetics. There's nothing one can do about that. There's just not.

Almost everyone knows this. You can have one child that is happy and cooing and very social at 3 or 6 months old, and another child that cries, doesn't like people, and unhappy. We all know this. It's not like the infant is choosing to be happy or sad at 3 months old. It's genetics. For sure.

One could say that since 50% is genetic, that 50% of a mood is under one's control. Well, having 100% happy genes plus a good happy outlook on life and choices is a LOT easier than only 50% unhappy. Because no matter what, even if a 50% "not good mood person" tries to be happy, there is always that 50% "not happy" part that is always there. Waiting. Looking for it's chance to move in. Happy people don't have that.

Also, on another note, there are all kinds of mood disorders. Major depressive disorder (MDD), Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Cyclothymic disorder, Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, Persistent depressive disorder, Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. These types of mood disorders follow one through life, too. Can be ok for a while, then boom, depressed and you can't help it.

There is no way that people with mood disorders can choose to be happy. Just no way.

>the most miserable people in the world are obscenely wealthy.

I am personally convinced that all the studies that show that obscenely wealthy people are miserable is that all the studies were paid for by billionaires and published by their astroturf groups. These "studies" are published in the media that the billionaires own, saying how miserable they are. Because that will help prevent the actual miserable poor people from rising up and doing a French Revolution gullontine number on the very rich.

Mr. Billionarie says: "You think you have it bad, Mr. Working-two-jobs-at-federal-minimum-wage-of-$7.50?? You got it great! I have BILLIONS of dollars and boy am I miserable. I mean, I KNOW that I have cool cars, my own private jet, a different supermodel every night, but man-oh-man that is so much worse than you not being able to afford basic healthcare for your 3 children and one of them dies from an easily preventable disease. You are so much better off than me!!!"

Anectdotal stories on how the rich are so miserable don't really do it for me.

This is more like actual reality: https://www.businessinsider.com/study-shows-money-can-buy-ha...

82% of the wealthy were happy, while 98% of the poor were unhappy

87% of the wealthy were happy in their marriage, while 53% of the poor were unhappy

93% of the wealthy were happy because they liked or loved what they did for a living, while 85% of the poor were unhappy

0% of the wealthy were unhappy due to finances, while 98% of the poor were unhappy

.

Wait...are you a billionaire???

However, as is often the case, emotion driven decisions have horrible secondary effects. Is Seoul setting aside money for compensating landlords for loss of legal income? Is Seoul building affordable housing? Is Korea delivering high quality government services evenly throughout the country?

Seoul, one of the world's richest cities, isn't offering her a NPV of her future rent. Seoul isn't building affordable housing.

This landlady has had a much tougher life than her tenants who have had much tougher lives than most on this forum