Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary
I can't remember where. The point of the article was that going from dying of starvation to eating a meal a day greatly improves happiness. Going from eating a meal a day to having three a day and a roof and clothing improves happiness quite a bit. Going from that to having TV, radio, internet, a car, etc. can slightly improve happiness, but it soon tapers off from there. A millionaire isn't going to be millions of times happier than a guy that makes a median wage in the USA.
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The happiest I've ever been was when I didn't own any of the 3 pairs of used tighty whiteys issued to me. This is precisely why I have no mind to forcibly take from some and give to others. Poverty of soul cannot be made whole with material abundance.
All that said, you'll not find a credible study showing a population feeling better off after having suffered economic decline. We can take for granted any level of material gain (hedonic adaptation), but will suffer any loss.