Why (Some) Rich People are Unhappy While Poor People are Happy

One of the most read blog posts on our website is about 100 celebrities who committed suicide. It is popular because people are confused as to how rich and powerful individuals, who seem to have everything, can commit such an unthinkable act. Meanwhile, there are countless others who aspire to have the lives of these people we look up to, expecting them to be happy, when in reality, they are as anxious and depressed as the rest of us.

We are constantly told that we should strive to have more in our lives and aim for the life of those super rich and powerful celebrities. However, these individuals ultimately experience negativity, depression, and even suicidal thoughts, which indicates that they are unhappy. This raises questions about the promise of happiness that comes with being rich. It is an interesting paradox of happiness, isn’t it?

To resolve this paradox, we must consider that many “poor” people are actually happy because they understand that they cannot have it all and they accept this reality. They become content with what they have and stop striving for higher goals such as money, power, and influence. By doing so, they find happiness.

However, unhappiness still affects many so-called “poor” people who don’t have an abundance of resources – whether financial, social, or otherwise – in almost every aspect of their lives, but they still want these resources. They try to experience the life of the rich by purchasing things that are outside their income range, such as expensive clothes, food, cars, and jewelry. These individuals are unhappy because they desire what they do not have, which is essentially the fastest way to become unhappy.

On the other hand, the rich are able to have it all. They can buy and experience the best things that life has to offer in virtually any domain of life. However, many of them are still unhappy. After all the parties, expensive purchases, and trips around the world, they realize that they are still unhappy. They come to the realization that there is nothing else they can buy or do to experience the happiness they deeply crave, so they become depressed.

These rich individuals cannot hide anymore behind the aspirations or delusions that the less wealthy people often experience. This is why they become unhappy, depressed, and even suicidal. Of course, the topic of suicide is much deeper and cannot be simplified to this extent. However, the positive news is that we can still find happiness regardless of our wealth.

Some people argue that it is still better to cry in the back of a Mercedes than to laugh on the back of a bicycle. They imply that we should continue to pursue money, hoping that these random celebrities just don’t know how to be happy despite their power, influence, and wealth. They suggest that if we had their resources, we would be able to do it better.

However, the truth is that we can learn to be incredibly happy with just enough money. We need to have some money to take care of our essential needs, but once those needs are met, we can stop seeking wealth for the sake of happiness and instead focus on other activities that are more likely to lead to even greater happiness.

And this is exactly what we teach here at Optimal Happiness—that money isn’t always the solution for happiness. We should invest in other activities that are more likely to lead to higher levels of happiness, even if they are not money-related. In fact, there comes a point when we should stop seeking money solely for the sake of happiness and focus on these other activities instead.

Indeed, happiness is possible for virtually everyone today and forever. We just need to get our money-related facts right, as money can only buy happiness to a certain extent, which is where the lack of money causes unhappiness. However, once we have enough money, other factors become important in maintaining and increasing our well-being, and we need to prioritize them in order to live our best life, which realistically speaking is possible for most people.

To learn more about how to be happy, I invite you to speak with one of our happiness experts in a free 30-minute call, which you can book here.

Stay happy, regardless of how much (or little) money you have!