Happine$$

They say that money can't buy you happiness.

I've been seeing that a lot, lately, in variation while just browsing around and surfing the web. I have seen merely that statement, and I have seen jokes and other humorous plays on it. Mostly, the jokes are taking the phrase and turning it around.

For instance, "I'm pretty sure I would be 200% happier if I were rich."

Posts like that are almost everywhere! Especially on different social media outlets, whether it's an image on someone's blog, a post on tumblr, a tweet, or simply someone's silly status update. I have never thought about it before, and I don't know why I started to think about it when I saw it earlier this morning. I guess this time, something just clicked in my brain.

You see, I think that the original phrase is geared more towards people who already have wealth. Wealth is all they know and understand. These people are capable of buying or owning almost everything they could imagine, and, in some instances, these people are literally capable of acquiring everything, should they want it. Because of this excessive amount of money, not only are these people's frivolous lives taken care of, but if they have family and friends, there is little doubt that their lives, too, are taken care of. What is left to bring you happiness if everyone is already so well off? Only in that instance, I think, is when "money cannot bring happiness" is truth. These are people who have to go out and find happiness, just like anyone.

However, if you were to turn the situation around and consider people of the lower middle and lower classes, money could very well bring them happiness. Look at it like this: these people have never known wealth, usually. These are the people that live every day working, earning, and spending almost every last dime (and even more, in some instances) just to get themselves and their families by. Sometimes friends can be included, sometimes not! Some of the more middle class people can afford some extravagance, but not often, and for lower class people, extravagance is a desirable scarcity. If these people were to gain sudden wealth (imagine the lottery, for example, or some insane, unexpected inheritance), how do you think they would react? Probably shock and excitement. Immediately, sudden money has given them happiness. The first thoughts running through their minds are ways to make their situations better, ways to save the money for better things, ways to use the money to get out of debt, pay off houses or education. Money in the hands of these people does far more good, in the long run, than money in the hands of the wealthy who tend to take it for granted.

I guess, in the end, it's an interesting phrase. "Money can't buy you happiness." However, Internet joking aside, when you turn situations around, the words turn around, too. Happiness is everywhere and in everything, but it really depends on who you are and how you find it. Or even how it finds you!