What is this meaning of the quote? What do you think of that?
It does not suit the world to hear that people who are leading a high life ,an enviable life,a priviliged life are as miserable most days as anybody else,despite the fact that it must be obvious they would be -given that we are all agreed that money and fame do not bring happiness . Instead the world would prefer to enjoy the idea against what it knows to be true ,that wealth and fame do in fact insulate and protect against misery and it would rather we shut up if we are planning to indicate otherwise.

Question

What is this meaning of  the quote? What do you think of that?
It does not suit the world to hear that people who are leading a high life ,an enviable life,a priviliged life are as miserable most days as anybody else,despite the fact that it must be obvious they would be -given  that we are all agreed that money and fame do not bring happiness . Instead the world would  prefer to enjoy the idea  against what it knows to be true ,that wealth and fame do in fact insulate and protect against misery and it would rather we shut up if we are planning to indicate otherwise.

Answer

I prefer the phrase "a quotation" to "a quote." "A quote" is informal and not strictly correct.

The quotation contains three ideas.

1) The rich are no happier than anyone else.

2) People do not want to believe point #1. They want to believe that money buys protection, security, and greater happiness.

3) People do not want to hear anyone talk about point #2. If they think you are going to say that money does not buy happiness, they will tell you to shut up.

I personally like to think of wealth in terms of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. You need a certain amount of money to achieve levels 1 and 2 (physiological needs and safety). If you don't have enough money for these levels, you will be desperately unhappy. Money does not help you much in achieving the higher levels (love and belonging, the esteem and respect of others, and finally "self-actualization," achieving your highest potential.

A Google search tells me that this is a quotation from a book by Stephen Fry called "The Fry Chronicles: An Autobiography." I've never read it. If you find the quotation interesting you might want to read the book in which it appears. He probably has a lot more to say about it.

Answer

Money does not buy happiness.

Answers · 2

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