Pity the Rich
gojiberries.io
gojiberries.io
Counterpoint 2: the findings that happiness doesn't really level off in an S-curve shape (i.e., fewer diminishing marginal returns than expected to wealth) https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-43605-001.
"Is there a growing class divide in happiness? Among U.S. adults ages 30 and over in the nationally representative General Social Survey (N = 44,198), the positive correlation between socioeconomic status (SES; including income, education, and occupational prestige) and happiness grew steadily stronger between the 1970s and 2010s. Associations between income and happiness were linear, with no tapering off at higher levels of income. Between 1972 and 2016, the happiness of high-SES White adults was fairly stable, whereas the happiness of low-SES White adults steadily declined. Among Black adults, the happiness of low-SES adults was fairly stable, whereas the happiness of high-SES adults increased. Thus, the happiness advantage favoring high-SES adults has expanded over the decades. Age–period–cohort analyses based on hierarchical linear modeling demonstrate that this effect is primarily caused by time period rather than by birth cohort or age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)"
It's not just physical health. What if you feel you cannot trust anyone who is close to you because they only want your money (especially when you're sick, but even normally)? What if you get addicted to cocaine or whatever drug is running in your circle?
It's not just me (not being a billionaire, I have no personal experience). A British therapist says his billionaire clients are often miserable from a psychological standpoint for many reasons (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/22/therap...).