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“Quality and quantity” always seemed like a perfectly ambitious way to approach life. I pondered this when as a school student I was always told “quality over quantity”, particularly when critised for writing long essays that rambled on about nothing or giving speeches with a similar problem. The two philosophies are separated in order to prevent them from being confused, however I never understood why they could not simply receive equal emphasis.
This bubble has all but been burst in previous weeks. My 2011 goal of produce copious amounts of ‘quality’ blogs has been vastly underachieved. Due to the time constraints imposed upon me by second year arts (try and say that with a straight face), I was going to either churn out copious amounts of garbage or an underwhelming amount of raconteur’s gold. Instead I discovered a third option of doing nothing. Nevertheless robboblog is back on the intertubes writing in the typical fashion; with a glass of red looking out onto the Queen’s College Quadrangle at 1 in the morning, writing whatever comes to mind. Quality AND quantity.
However the real reason the quality/quantity bubble has been burst appeared when, in discussion with a close friend on the fast track to a successful career, I was able to entirely convince him that money does not buy happiness. My enlightenment in this particular area has emerged subsequent to my decision of study arts at a university I love, in an environment and a city that suit me very well, over any kind of vocational pursuit at a lesser institution for money’s sake. The discussion goes something like this: is the man who earns $160,000 whilst being driven into the ground happier than the man who earns $60,000 and loves what he does? No one can deny the richer man has greater material benefits and generally avoids financial stress, however does this constitute happiness? Perhaps. Yet the issue for me is needing the money to generate happiness. Were you happy before you had tangible wealth, or was this happiness simply manifest in the prospect of one day attaining wealth? If the wealth disappears, will you still be happy? These doubts are why wealth should not be chased as goal in itself, but rather enjoyed as the byproduct of success. Money, when chosen as a goal in itself, can do as much harm as good, even if the good is undeniable. Will I be twice as happy, twice as fulfilled, if my salary doubles? Where will the line be drawn as to what is an acceptable means for earning the money in the first place and will that line become blurred?
This is undoubtedly one blog I may well look back on in the future and shake my head at on grounds of the open display of unqualified moral highground, yet having stared at Prince William’s balding head for six hours, it seems only logical that money, when perceived as an end in generating happiness, is more likely to achieve exactly the opposite.
If indeed happiness is the quality and money is the quantity…chase the quality and the quantity will follow.
The headline act for the Queen’s College Ball have something to say about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa-x1SZ8tik
amazing post. quality & quantity you say? After years writing I’ve determined that my ramblings are only as good as the interpretation 😉 so the quality I’ve left as a reader’s opinion. How lazy.
Quite insightful, however, is your approach to money. The fact that people are so willing to trade their time and character for it is a little sad. It is also a well known fact that people who have more money are not necessarily happier. So why do the majority of us ‘buy into’ this, when we know full-well that it is a lie?
Ah! It just so happens that I should be writing a essay on happiness as I speak. Based on various researches if you do not have enough money to sustain the necessities of life (a home, food, clothing, family maybe) then more money does equal more happiness. But once you reach comfortable wealth then more money does not add to your happiness.
How much you value money (or your society has taught you to value money) also comes into play. One research compared poor people in Calcutta, India were more satisfied with their life than poor people in California, USA.
One final interesting thing in response to “why do the majority of us buy into [money]?” Perhaps it is the way our society is structured. We use GNP (gross national product) a measure of production and consumption as a measure of the success of our nation. But in the nation of Bhutan, they have set up an alternative: the GNH (Gross national happiness) that measures education, environment, culture, health, psychological well-being, time use, community vitality, living standards and governance as a measure of success – and as a way of directing future policies. In comparison, doesn’t that make the values our society conveys feel a bit pale and less satisfying?
(on second thoughts instead of writing that essay I could just copy and paste the above xD)
Thought provoking post..
“Were you happy before you had tangible wealth, or was this happiness simply manifest in the prospect of one day attaining wealth?” – as nonsensical as this sentence is, the point is recognised. Question: as long as you’re ‘happy’ does it really matter why? …manifest
“If the wealth disappears, will you still be happy? These doubts are why wealth should not be chased as goal in itself” – Do you apply this ‘don’t climb because you might fall’ philosophy to all things that contribute to happiness? ie: forming relationships.
P.S. Queens ball was awesome! Did you guys turn a profit?
P.S. Queen’s ball was awesome! Did it turn a profit?
The fact that you compare forming relationships to accumulating money tells me far too much about you OnFuego. The happiness from money is fickle, unfulfilling and perpetuates greed; the happiness from a well-formed relationship is healthy, emotionally fulfilling and perpetuates social interaction, which in itself is beneficial.
Queen’s Ball was indeed awesome, we raised over four grand, which goes to the Carlton Youth Stopover Refuge. I’d also like to give a shout out to the Queen’s Soccer Team, crowned the best team on the crescent in 2011, knocking off Ormond and Trinity.
You say money is fickle and corrosive to the human spirit, but love can be just as detrimental. Not all happiness derived from love is bad – but (just like money) it is certainly not all good.
As an arts student you will know from your expansive knowledge that history has been littered with the corpses of those burnt by the fire of love..
Nonetheless, congrats on the success of Queen’s ball, it’s good to know that you turned a PROFIT and so the future of Carlton’s disadvantaged youths can be a bit brighter… Perhaps money can buy happiness…