Poverty Doesn’t Scare you Enough.

Do Money Brings Happiness? Perhaps yes, but Being Poor Will Definitely Make you sad.

Would you like to be wealthy? Seriously, who wouldn’t? Having various houses around the world, a garage full of beautiful cars, thousands of clothes, and maybe even a yacht… seriously, who wouldn’t want to be a billionaire, or even just a multimillionaire?

None of us work to not be poor; instead, we all work to earn, to fill our bank accounts, to go on vacation, or to give gifts to friends and family. When we accept a new job, we all want to know what the compensation will be, and that’s normal and right.

However, today, I want to attempt to change your perspective. I want to help you understand that, in reality, being wealthy isn’t as crucial as it seems, or at least, it’s much more important not to be poor. Owning a yacht won’t necessarily make you happier; on the other hand, being able to afford good quality food every day will make you much happier. Sleeping in a warm house will not only make you happier but also healthier.

Here are the points I want to analyze:

1. Money alone won’t be enough to make you happy.
2. Essential things you can’t do without:
3. Consequences of poverty:
4. Already today, you’re much richer than you think!

1. Money alone won’t be enough to make you happy.

One of the most famous questions in the world is: «Does money buy happiness?» Well, the short answer is: yes. The longer answer is: yes, but not everything that makes you happy can be bought.

Have you ever been to a concert? Did you have fun? Were you happy afterward, right? Well, the concert ticket was purchased with money. Now, try to think if you were alone or with someone. Most likely, you were with friends or family. This is something money can’t buy. As you can see, happiness comes from a combination of factors, and many of them can’t be bought.

Think about these things that can’t be purchased: how happy can a person be when they’re alone? What about someone with health issues? Or someone who can’t find their place in the world, a purpose to live for?

Other things that will make you happy — or at least, not sad — can indeed be purchased. Do you believe it’s possible to be happy when you can’t afford a roof over your head? Perhaps a warm bed or being able to eat quality food every day?

Take a moment to think about what makes you happy, focusing on those things that money can’t buy. Do everything you can to hold onto them!

Let’s face it, being millionaires won’t necessarily make us happy. However, being poor will certainly make us sad.

2. Essential things you can’t do without:

What’s your favorite dish? Imagine not being able to eat it anymore, in fact, imagine not being able to eat anything and having to settle for whatever you can find. This isn’t life; it’s survival. Those who survive, unfortunately, will always be sad. But that’s not all: the likelihood of developing illnesses increases, life expectancy decreases, and often one ends up alone. In short, you get the idea.

What are the purchasable things that I just can’t do without?

Let’s start with the obvious ones:

• Water
• 2–3 quality meals a day
• A cozy home
• A warm bed.

Then there are the less obvious ones like

• The ability to buy a movie ticket, visit a museum or purchase a book
• Being able to go to a bar or restaurant occasionally
• Having the opportunity for a day trip.

Another thing you can purchase to ensure happiness and peace of mind not purchasing anything: I’m talking about savings. Having the security to tackle an unforeseen medical expense will let you sleep better at night. If you haven’t experienced this feeling, I hope you never do.

The list could be endless, and I’m surely forgetting other essential things. Feel free to suggest more in the comments.

3. Consequences of poverty:

In the title, I mention that you’re not scared enough of poverty. Now I’ll explain why you should be terrified. There are numerous studies that discuss how poverty affects our lives. I’ve selected two, the ones that terrify me the most.

According to this study: (life expectancy) Poverty showed an inverse correlation with life expectancy. Individuals in poverty exhibited a life expectancy 10.5 years lower at age 18 compared to those with incomes ≥400% of the poverty threshold.

According to this other study: (heart disease) Over an 11-year period of observation, heart disease rates increased by 27% and 37% in the lower-income and lower-middle-income groups, respectively, in contrast to 12% and 6% in the upper-middle-income and high-income groups, respectively.

I could go on, but I don’t want to distress you further. As you can imagine, mental health is also impacted, not just physical health. One’s education, relationships, and the lives of our children — for those who have them — are also affected.

I hope you’ve grasped the difference between not owning a Ferrari and not having access to healthy food.

4. Already today, you’re much richer than you think!

To conclude, I’d like to talk about how many of us are incredibly wealthy without realizing it. We should start recalibrating the meaning of “rich” and understand that true wealth, the one that truly matters, is the kind that doesn’t compromise our life expectancy.

This article aims to make you pause for a moment and reflect on how chasing wealth is futile compared to escaping poverty. I hope I’ve achieved that. If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to support my growth, please clap, follow me, and leave a comment. Thank you very much.