論財富,幸福和養小主播
(2009-01-07 09:35:47)
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幸福在很大程度上,maybe more than 90%, is relative, not absolute. Below certain threshold, happiness is strongly correlated with wealth。比如說一個月能吃二兩肉的就比一個月隻能吃一兩肉的要幸福一倍。 但在一些基本需求得到滿足之後(food, shelter entertainments , leisure, and proper medical care等),這時候,幸福就與財富脫鉤,幸福就變成相對的了。相對幸福有兩個方麵, relative to your peers(to “keep up with the Jones”), and relative to yourself(am I doing better than last year? By how much?)
可以說幸福取決於財富的變化(財富對時間的一階導數),而不是靜態的財富的數量。一個人突然繼承了很大一筆遺產,拿到很大一筆分紅,他會感到很快樂,but that’ll only last for maybe a few weeks, he’ll get desensitized quickly and his feeling of happiness quickly reset to baseline. After that, he will need another, and progressively larger and larger doses stimulus to feel happy again. 如果你有一百萬,再給你一百萬,你會感到很快樂,但如果你有一千萬,你可能需要額外的三千萬才能感到同等程度的快樂(diminishing marginal utility).
On the same hand, the function of happiness vs. money is not even monotonic. 也就是說有時候錢越多會越不幸福,幸福曲線並不是單調上升的,而是會出現拐點(二階導數為零)。 你有一千萬,再給你三千萬,可能你就會擔心上街被偷被搶被賊惦記,或是窮親戚都要上你們家蹭飯來了。中了Lottery的人結果好像都不幸福。Sometimes money is a curse. 成為眾人關注的中心有時候也挺難受的,連在海灘曬曬屁股都要讓全世界參觀,Imagine how much they’d be willing to pay to be left alone, something you and the Jones take for granted? 當然如果本來就想讓人參觀那就是另外一回事了.
In terms of keeping up with the peers, 物以類聚,人以群分很重要,當然最關鍵的是要保持一個平和的心態,錢還是要掙的,要不怎麽keep up with the Jones? However, if you can’t keep up with the Jones, try to realizing that there are many things the Jones might be jealous of you for。窮有窮的不易,富也有富的難處。
那麽,怎樣保持一個平和的心態呢? 多讀讀紅樓夢,多做做廣播操,多呼吸呼吸新鮮空氣(fresh air is available to the rich and the poor(or those who are “yet to become rich”) alike, no more, no less), 不要攀比,養不起小主播的同學就不要養了, 我是說暫時不要養了,真要想養的話等養得起再養,或是先養點別的,比說如花花草草阿貓阿狗什麽的,還能改善環境。 有時候還要學會多往下看,少往上看, 比如說,養不起小主播的多的是,養不起小主播不丟人,OK? 一年兩三百萬都不夠的話,左總也養不起(not that I'm going to even if I can afford it, OK? lol...), the Jones也養不起,我猜叫獸也養不起, even if he’s suitably oriented sexually, LOL… 人家叫獸還是上海人呢。不過叫獸一天至少吃三頓飯,頓頓有肉,這不是每個上海人都能做到的,OK? 而且人叫獸的桃李比皇上的大小老婆加一塊兒都多,想找誰談心就找誰談心,想給誰A就給誰A。人吃的還是流水席,年年歲歲花相似,歲歲年年人不同,你養小主播你能一年一換,一換一個班麽? 最重要的是,即使叫獸穿著empereur’s nouveau couture在 la Bôstôn rivage打板羽球,我猜也不會make it past the local headlines. LOL…