Money and fame don't equal happiness (duh?)
I finished a book about James Beard yesterday. He was an iconic food personality in America and abroad from ~1950-1980. He had syndicated columns and cookbooks and shows and his own cooking school. Others praised him lavishly as being THE greatest gourmand in the US. He spent most of his life eating and drinking the best that our world could offer.
But he was deeply unhappy.
I know we're all here to make money, and I will almost certainly be happier when I am paying my bills with my own projects instead of working for someone else. But Beard's story reminded me that the correlation between money and happiness is pretty darn weak after a point.
I think it really takes balance to feel good consistently.
Interestingly, I feel better about not being indie rich yet just knowing that there are so many aspects of life to tweak and improve on as I try to move towards a better life and a better version of myself, year after year. There are many levers, not just money.
That said, if anybody wanted to give me a big pile of money, I would take it! 😂
Money can buy comfort. Fame brings good and bad emotions, in a sense that you'll always be asking yourself a question "is this person spending their time with me because they like me, or they just want a piece of my fame to them?"
Nothing can make you happier. Well maybe besides psychotherapy :D
Courtland just had a fantastic podcast here on indie hackers about the big void after the financial success and how to balance working for the short term economic benefits & the long term passion. It's podcast #254
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL3RoZS1pbmRpZS1oYWNrZXJzLXBvZGNhc3Q/episode/NDRkNGEzMDctMjAxZS00Yjg4LWI0OTEtYmIxNjY4YTA1MTVh?ep=14
The interesting part is that money doesn't bring "happiness" per se. It takes you up one level in the life scale.
And in that new level there are other events and things that happen.
A big pile of money doesn't solve all your problems. It only gives you a different set of problems which the majority of people don't want to have.
Ironic, I know.
I know from xp that money matter A LOT when you are bellow a threshold that doesn't allow you to participate in society (not just paying the bills).
Beyond that, windfalls might give you a dopamine hit but the you get used to a new normal, so there is no much correlation between wealth and happiness.
My goal is "just" to be financially sustainable with an own project. Sounds impossible, thou.
Money doesn't make happiness, but not having money to pay rent makes unhappiness.
And fame may not be all fun and games, but how many entrepreneurs would like to have a massive fan base to launch new products to?
Speaking as a broke high schooler, money may not make happiness, but more money than I currently have would definitely be better! 😂
Also, fame sounds like hell. Imagine strangers wanting your time constantly. 😱 If I was famous, I would have an incredibly lifelike mask made so that I could go out in public without being recognized. 👀
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