I figured out why life stinks (long)

Life stinks. But why does life stink? I�ll tell you right now that life stinks because of one major reason: we never have enough money to be happy. The rich have long been brainwashing the poor and middle-class with statements like �money doesn�t bring happiness�. I�ll tell you right now�that statement is the biggest crock of bullsh!t to ever smear the English language. Another statement they like to use is �money is the root of all evil�. I guess that one is suppose to make us feel righteous that we�re broke (hey, we don�t have money�but at least we�re not evil). Let me correct that statement for you: Money is NOT the root of all evil...LACK OF MONEY is the root to all evil.

Okay, so I figured out that having money is more righteous than being broke. It was important that I realized that because I was feeling guilty whenever it looked like I was being successful. I learnt that if you subconsciously feel guilty about making a lot of money, your subconscious mind will find a way to block your road to success.

Another important thing I learnt was about �people�. What I�m referring to is the mass population...the AVERAGE person out there in the world. In case you haven�t realised it already��People Are Stupid�. In fact, if you are over 16 years of age, and you did not realize this, then I�m sorry to say that you are amongst that group.

Stupidity rules this planet because every country has reduced its citizens to the Lowest Common Denominator of intelligence. What this means is that every facet of our lives revolves around a stupid person being able to understand the concept. Why else do we have to wait for a red light to turn green...even though it�s 3am and no other cars are on that road? Because if we relied on logic to control the traffic at 3am, the dumbest person out there might hurt himself because he didn�t look to see that one other car is coming through the intersection. So to play it safe...everyone gets treated like the dumbest citizen out there. It is for this reason that I go through red lights when there are no other cars on the road (assuming there�s no police or red-light cameras in sight). I have gone through numerous red lights in my life, simply because there was no other cars anywhere in sight at those times.

This practice of treating everyone like the dumbest citizen, has spawned common phrases like �user-friendly� (which should really be �stupid friendly�). It explains a lot when you think about it. It explains why the "GUI interface" and �touch-screens� have become the evolutionary maturity of IT related concepts like operating systems and public information booths, etc.

Computer Operating Systems started off with semi-intelligent people in mind...but the mass public�s outcry for something more �user-friendly� forced the industry to create stupid-proof products. People didn�t want to learn to type a command line to launch a word processor program. Instead, they wanted to click a cute picture of a typewriter to launch the program...hence the GUI interface was born. And when they double-click the cute icon, and nothing happens...these idiots ring a helpdesk number, wait 40 minutes on hold, and then abuse the poor support person with how long they had to wait, just to be told to reboot their PC. Then instead of apologising about how stupid they were for not rebooting before ringing, they thank the support person for �fixing� their problem.

It also explains why advertisement works. Why else would someone buy a product just because they saw a famous celebrity endorsing it in a commercial? People are so stupid...that even though they know that the only reason these celebrities endorse the product is because they get millions of dollars, they still go out and buy that product! When Michael Jackson got paid millions of dollars to endorse Pepsi�he even admitted that he never drinks Pepsi. But people are so stupid that the ads still worked anyway and Pepsi sales went through the roof (BTW, this was before Michael Jackson was accused of sleeping with children).

Stupidity plagues our world like a cancer. It gets worse and worse every year because of litigation. Some clumsy idiot spills coffee on herself so decides to sue McDonalds for making the coffee too hot...and the stupid jury awards her with millions. Now McDonalds make their coffee just warm temperature (at the expense of pissing off everyone who likes hot coffee) because some stupid person might spill it on themselves and sue them again. Another idiot swims in crocodile infested waters and wants to sue the local government for not warning him properly. The guy was a tourist in Australia who could not read the English warning signs. The warning signs also had pictures of vicious crocodiles with their mouths wide open...but that wasn�t enough for this guy to understand the warning...so he swam in the waters and got attacked.

Let's face it folks...no matter how hard we try, there will always be stupid people dictating the conditions in this world. This explains why casinos can get away with 6/5 Blackjack and the like.

If one goes through life believing that money buys happiness and that most people are stupid, I can just about guarantee that such a person will be miserable most of the time and life will stink.

All things considered, money doesn't manufacture happiness. Oh it helps. It is good to have enough money to buy food, shelter, clothing and medical care. It is good to be able to purchase the things we need and even the things we want, but those things don't bring happiness to our lives in and of themselves. The saying isn't "money is the root of all evil." It is, "the love of money is the root of all evil." If one desires money above all else, that is, if one loves money to the extent where money becomes more important than other considerations, one is taking an evil path.

What brings happiness? Giving and receiving love is a good place to start. Having friends and family is more valuable than gold. I get more satisfaction out of a smile and a hug from my granddaughter than I ever got at the blackjack tables. Being a productive member of society who makes a difference in the world is a tremendous path to contentment. In order to be happy a person has to like himself first. Happiness comes from within.

If one views the world with contempt, if one truly believes that most people are stupid, then one is almost assured to be miserable. Not all of us place the same priorities on the same things. For example, I don't have the time or the inclination to learn a whole set of DOS commands. Give me a little picture to click on every time, and I will be a happier fellow. That doesn't make me stupid, it just means that my priorities are ordered differently than someone who wants to spend a lot of time fooling around with a computer.

Yes, there are stupid people in the world, and there are people who may be ignorant of local cultures, customs, and language. So we put up warning signs. However, just because some people don't get it doesn't condemn the entire population of the world to stupidity. A person can run all the red lights he wants to prove his intelligence, and that will be fine until he runs that final light when he didn't see the cop behind the sign or the car coming around the corner that smashes into him. Looking at other folks and decrying their ignorance doesn't buy you one moment of happiness. Smugness, self-righteousness and feelings of superiority don't produce euphoria.

Misery makes its own company. If a person's life stinks, odd are that person needs to look no further than himself to find the source of the odor.

Poor,

Money ain't the answer. If you believe it is, I'll be happy to introduce you to some very affluent people I know who are very unhappy, some irreparably scarred. Fervent pursuit of money played a substantial part in making them that way.

As for your complaints about 'dumb' people, I urge you to contemplate therapy.

Cheers,

BC

It amazes me that car dealers rent those giant inflatable animals to drive up business. This must work because if it didn't it wouldn't be a cost effective promotion. This shows us that people base their car purchasing decisions on if the dealer has a giant inflatable animal or not. Obviously this is just wrong and proves there are lots of stupid people out there.

And than realize that half the people are even dumber than that!

One nice thing about America, it is okay to screw over the dumb guy. Imagine if the Goverment was looking over everybody's shoulder and wouldn't let you play poker with a bunch of fish because they were too dumb to play with you.

I've been looking for a second game to play, while I'm not playing Blackjack. Poker looks interesting as you play against other players and not the house. I've got the dedication to learn the game so that's not an issue, I might be a really crappy poker player though because of my manerisms but you never know. I can't always find a decent BJ game so this would give me another option, what do you all think? Texas Holdem looks interesting, any other suggestions?

...for example, the idea that most limitations are self imposed. I think that is true. The other thing is, if you make your money legally in America, you have a right not to feel guilty about it, because odds are you got it by working hard or taking a risk. Keep in mind that, in order to accumulate wealth, you don't necessarily have to take it from someone else.

I try not to get hung up on intelligence. I look for one of three things: intelligence, cuteness, or niceness. I figure a healthy dose of at least one attribute makes someone tolerable. Fortunately not too many people are deficient in all three, although when you do encounter one, they certainly stand out, don't they?

I've found that, most frequently, what makes people unhappy is when they don't perceive that they have any direction or meaning to their life (a la Viktor Frankl). Most of your basic drives (food, sex) can be met with money. Meaningfulness is a different issue altogether, and one that can be achieved with no money at all if you want. And all the money in the world doesn't give life meaning.

I talked to a lady one time who was depressed because she survived a near-death experience. She didn't understand why she was allowed to come back. She had to think things through and I believe she ultimately decided that she had some things she needed to do with her grand-daughter. Point is, just being alive wasn't enough. It never is.

You got to biggest rambler of 6/5 gaming I've ever heard of.

I'll tell you what will piss you off more than waitiing for a red light.........when you finally decide to run it,..,it turns GREEN!

Never Happy.

Do you think telling someone that if his life stinks it is his own fault would help stop someone bent on suicide at the moment or are you just funnin' me? :-)

The full quote is, "The love of money is the root of all evil."

In other words, you are unhappy because you are greedy.

(The irony of writing the above with my current handle is not lost on me. :*)

IMHO you are somewhat correct, though. While all the platitudes are correct as far as they go -- you can't "buy" love or happiness -- having enough money does make it a lot easier to make one's way through life.

You just described what I would consider "worst case scenario"

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It may come as a surprise to you but I know of no better approach to assist a depressed and suicidal individual than to show him the way to correct his errors, of thinking or action. I don't exactly believe that comforting him with the notion that it's not his fault, that it's the world's fault (which implies that the world is against him!) is a better form of assistance.

Plus, the fact that someone cares enough to be there, at the suicide helpline (or at www.bj21.com/free_pages), is already a show of support. Moreover, that someone cares enough to respond with a long and thoughful argument, is even more comforting and welcome.

And remember, Boot : Just keep 'em talking.

it simply allows me to live life the way I want.

If you seriously think the way you stated, you need to learn how to live your life.

The comments in the original post about a person being eaten by a crocodile even when there are signs posted brings this fable on.

A couple of anthropologists went to Africa to study the Bushmen. They were quite amused by the Bushmen's quaint ways and their ignorance of modern society and its technological wonders. They were quite sure that they were much smarter than the Bushmen.

One day, as they were wandering about the countryside, they were attacked and eaten by lions. As the Bushmen found their remains, they wondered aloud, "How stupid could those people be? Didn't they see the fresh lion shit all over the place?"

Ben Affleck's character says: "Anyone who tells you 'Money is the root of all evil' doesn't f___ing" have any."