Earning tons of $$ but really unhappy

Got money and unhappy? Serious lack of imagination there.
 
If there's one thing i notice in depressed weathly people is a life giving lifestyle outside of work.
You need to have things to look forward to outside of work or you're just a hamster regardless of how much you make.
 
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I have a friend who got really high up into the upper management of the UK Railway Industry and he was making tonnes of money but he was miserable. He ended up quitting and becoming a park ranger, just travels around with his dog fixing up the trails and he's much happier. His wife makes plenty of money though so they're not short of cash.

I found things a lot harder in my old career when I was basically living cheque to cheque. These days I'm in project management for the government and make enough money to pay my mortgage, invest, travel and do my hobbies. I could go work on the contractor side of the fence for another 30-40% pay rise but it would be more stress, more hours, less time off and without my WFH days I get now so it's not worth it for me.
 
My Dad was a bit like that.

He made his money, was a master of locking himself in with managerial style and software, and would get these ironclad contracts. He ran things very well, to the point where the business would rely solely on him to stay running. He also rented out properties on the side. By all accounts, he's led a life that I wish that I had.

He initially wanted to see more "him" in me, but honestly, I couldn't deal with the amount of legalities and backstabbing that he dealt with. With aside from one or two of his right-hand men, he pushed away everyone as a potential backstabber. He was very lonely and miserable when we lived together.

He's happily retired now, in a lovely house with a beautiful new family. He'd say that it was all worth it.
 
One of the biggest keys to being happy is beibg honest and doing the "right thing". How many rich people fall in line there . I'm guess not many. All sherdoggers excluded of course we all got millions an are 6'5 250 an shredded.
 
The guys I know like that all have wives who have plenty of fun wasting all that money for them.

Keeping up with the Joneses is a big problem in my wife's family and it took me years to break that conditioning in her.

It really is the most toxic thing to pass down to your kids and as a man you have no one to blame but yourself if you let your wife do that shit. My father in law is a really nice guy but man he just lets his money get spent like crazy. My dad is long dead but I can only imagine what he'd say if he saw how that family burns cash.
 
Know plenty of miserable wealthy people, but they're all the "live for the grind" types. Working 20 hours a day, seven days a week, never at home, etc. I think there's a threshold where the work needed to maintain a level of wealth eclipses the ability to enjoy it.
 
Only Here for Attachments said:
Know plenty of miserable wealthy people, but they're all the "live for the grind" types. Working 20 hours a day, seven days a week, never at home, etc. I think there's a threshold where the work needed to maintain a level of wealth eclipses the ability to enjoy it.
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I work probably more than the average person and make good money but the latter is not the reason for the former.

I'm an insane person who needs to find all the answers is why I work a lot. I could make the same money and work less hours.
 
Only Here for Attachments said:
Know plenty of miserable wealthy people, but they're all the "live for the grind" types. Working 20 hours a day, seven days a week, never at home, etc. I think there's a threshold where the work needed to maintain a level of wealth eclipses the ability to enjoy it.
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People like that need to learn to work smarter not harder.
 
When I feel down I count my money, cheers me right up. Then I get cocaine and hookers and feel even better.
 
Some people are willing to put of life's pleasures now so they can be secure and safe later.

Those that focus on happiness early in life often find themselves completely stressed and unhappy later in life.
 
djacobox372 said:
Some people are willing to put of life's pleasures now so they can be secure and safe later.

Those that focus on happiness early in life often find themselves completely stressed and unhappy later in life.
Click to expand...

Yeah and some of them then get cancer and die before they can enjoy the fruits of their labor or have too many health problems to go traveling in their retirement years.

As in most things, balance is the best approach. There's no point denying yourself everything to prepare for a time that may never come.
 
djacobox372 said:
Some people are willing to put of life's pleasures now so they can be secure and safe later.

Those that focus on happiness early in life often find themselves completely stressed and unhappy later in life.
Click to expand...

Some people I know spend like crazy and don’t save up. Makes me wonder if they’ll be working forever because they’re always in debt.
 
I'd rather be sad about my divorce and climate change than also sad about my rent and my inability to buy medicine or good food cause I'm broke, all things being equal.
 
Good Work life balance is more important to me now that I have faced my mortality a few times.

I could make a fudge load of money being an on call pipe fitter or driving around gasoline trucks for refineries but I would be very miserable working 6 or 7 days a week.
 
I've known a few that did and weren't happy. The money will only solve your money problems. That's about it. And it creates new problems.
I'm not rich but when I was earning a reasonable amount I wasn't happy. More money wasn't going to fix it.

Psychologists and psychiatrists often believe Maslow's hierarchy of needs being successfully met is what brings happiness.
2560px-MaslowsHierarchyOfNeeds.svg_.png
 
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