"Nothing kills the spirit," her father says with pointed gaze, "like poverty". And young Jane Austen is left alone leaning against the pig pen to contemplate these words of wisdom. Or are they? Does poverty kill spirit? Is spirit dependent on riches? Does one need wealth to love life? I recently told a friend (who also felt the same) that I would much rather be happy than rich. Please tell me that the two are not dependent on each other?! In fact, the thing I have most lately heard is that they are closer to being mutually exclusive. Another friend, on the other hand, saw his parents barely scrape by all his life and wants to avoid doing the same at all costs. Does growing up poor change your perspective that much? Does it change your priorities? I used to think the people who grew up wealthy put a higher emphasis on money and possessions, but could it be the other way around?[I really like this movie, by the way, though I'm only halfway through it :D]
An article published a year ago in Newsweek claims to have the answer. "Why Money Doesn't Buy Happiness" explains that while more moolah can make you a lot happier when it takes you from rummaging in trash barrels and borrowing clothes from beggars to living the average middle-class lifestyle, there isn't much of an increase at all when you go from average joe to filthy rich! In fact, an overabundance of wealth may have certain disadvantages as you begin to worry that you'll lose your fortune or that you'll be appreciated only for such and you start to be suspicious, greedy, depressed...
Hmmmm. I might stick to my original statement, although chinning above poverty level would be nice.
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