this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2023
828 points (98.1% liked)
Memes
45730 readers
1363 users here now
Rules:
- Be civil and nice.
- Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
The guy may have been ironic, but a country where all the people are doing TOO well (to a level, where Norway may not be yet), usually produces more apathic people.
Lol fucking source?
That lets him sleep at night
Basically every philosopher who ever wrote about the concept of happiness.
That's not a source, that's just a new baseless claim. Give statistics on "every philosopher who wrote about the concept of happiness" or sit down.
Alright here's a list, since I don't feel like compiling one myself. This is specifically about wealth, but all the other things mentioned in the post are closely releated to that.
But also I really think there has been some misunderstanding: I didn't say the stuff mentioned doesn't make some bad things go away. It does, it actually solves some of the most burning problems we currently have. But it also makes a society that will sooner or later feel unhappy in a different way. It's a pessimistic view on world, but I can really relate to it.
That's a good link, the author has a bachelor's in philosophy, so that gives it some credibility, and he is providing a nuanced summary of some philosophers' views on individual wealth. Schopenhauer is the only one to come close to what you're saying, and he's famously the most depressed/depressing guy to ever have walked the earth, not that that means he should be discredited of course. As a list this in no way backs up your point about wealth on a societal level. Just because you identify with an idea that does not make it true.
Here's an actual research paper with statistics touching on this subject. The authors argue that local wealth coupled with large inequality may cause many people to borrow above their means, causing unhappiness.
Why on earth would that be the case? And do you have any examples?
"Living in a country where people are happy may be bad for you. Here is why".
Maybe you have a point but overall I think a country like Norway is much more pleasant than a country like the US or UK for example.
I didn't say this is true for norway. I said it might be true in the future.