Will owning ‘everything’ bring you happiness?

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img_0051My friend Raj Diwan, a retired DuPont scientist, and I were discussing over dinner this evening how a person would feel if he or she were to suddenly become wealthy. Being engineers, we stretched the hypothetical situation of this “blessed” person to the “limit” and asked what if this person were to own “everything” in this planet, if not the entire universe. We then surmised that since nobody else owned anything, they would in principle not exist. So now you have this individual who owns everything but is alone in the planet.

Can you see this person being happy?  If so, how?  If not, why?

28 thoughts on “Will owning ‘everything’ bring you happiness?”

  1. I do not think that anyone who “owns everything” would be happy at all. In order to want to “own everything” you would have to be driven by desires of lust and greed. When you get something you have the desire for more. Then that something more would become not enough and still a stronger desire for even more. In a sense, this is a person who would never be satisfied with what they have. They would keep seeking out more in order to make them happy. When they finally had everything, I believe that even this would not be enough. A person who has a desire for more and more is trying to use material objects to create happiness. True happiness comes from within not from material objects. I don’t see someone who “owns everything” being happy at all. Proof, there are a lot of unhappy rich people in the world and a lot of happy poor ones.

    • The person in question, however, “suddenly” became wealthy. They were not necessarily seeking out wealth and we cannot know for sure if their desires are driven by lust and greed. However, this person cannot surely be happy if they are the only person on the planet. The Framework leads us to believe that true happiness comes from fulfillment, and fulfillment must stem from both knowing and embracing our nexus. It would seem that for an individual to come to know his or her nexus they would need to have interaction with others, i.e. he or she would need to encounter others during their journey through the metaphorical brook.

      • As a follow up to my previous post, if the situation were altered so that the person in question still owned everything but was not alone, then certainly they could find happiness as they could put their extreme to use by serving others.

        • Yes, Joshua – this would suggest in the the Eastern myth I wore about earlier that God, who has everything, created the universe, including creatures and humans, to share and give… a concept that is reflected in the Servant Leader… PC

  2. According to an article on CNN, “by and large, money buys happiness only for those who lack the basic needs. Once you pass an income of $50,000, more money doesn’t buy much more happiness [according to happiness studies].” So while we are being pushed towards materialism, it’s for monetary gain by corporations, not for our own happiness.
    [http://www.wikihow.com/Escape-Materialism-and-Find-Happiness]

    This is an obvious trend that’s been developing over several decades especially in the post-modern western culture that’s rapidly infiltrated its way into the whole world. There’s no real need to elaborate on how fickle the notion of increasing wealth increasing happiness is, as we see and hear stories of miserable rich folks all the time even leading to taking their own lives. But, as far as owning EVERYTHING & in essence being the last human being left on earth – that’s something the character of Will Smith in “I am Legend” understood for a little bit :) Now if that analogy really intrests you, check this out: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-505980/What-really-happen-person-Earth.html

    Man I believe was created for relationship and social existence as the original intent of the “supreme creative force” through creation. Adam the first man did experience this kind of a situation for a very short while with responsibilities of taking care of the garden of Eden. But Genesis 1:18 says “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%20:18;&version=51;] How we define “not good” can be in terms of emotional intimacy/interaction that is necessary to make a person whole, but also an object that affection, service and nurture can be exercised on effectively along mutual lines unlike the love you can have towards a pet & vice-versa.

    Will owning everything make you happy? Good thing that’ll never happen!

  3. Owning everything does not bring happiness. Mirek has pointed out very well that there is no more excitement to achieve more. If what you own has satisfied you, that’s when you feel the happiness at it’s highest. First, we have to understand what exactly does the word “”EVERYTHING” specify? Is it wealth, knowledge or personal pleasure? In any of these case, achieving everything is impossible. If achieved you cannot be happy as there is nothing left to achieve from then on.
    But if someone does have a vision to achieve everything in this world, and his/her actions from then on does provide him/her everything, then he/she has every right to be happy.

    • Interesting comments, Sreesh… “everything” means “everything” and achieving “everything” is unrealistic, being merely an assumption of a limit at one extreme–the other one being “nothing” which also is unrealistic…unless you consider total annihilation… PC

  4. Man’s real nature is happiness. His search for happiness is a search for his true Self. When a man finds His true Self, he finds a happiness which does not come to an end. One of the great saints from India, Swami Vivekananda, says, “What we want is neither happiness nor misery. Both make us forget our true nature; both are chains, one iron, another gold; behind both is the Atman (soul).” and he said happiness presents itself before man, wearing the crown of sorrow on its head.

    I believe that ultimate happiness comes only if we are free from bondage and attachment. in other words true happiness is “union” with God (- or the Supreme Creative Force – edited by PC).

  5. I agree with Mirek that owning everything does not ensure happiness. There is an interesting NY Times article which describes the “bored” nature of individuals who have a lot (though not everything) and how we has humans will always look for something better. The focus of the article is the Easterlin Principle that growth (economic) doesn’t ensure happiness. Its similar to what we are discussing in this blog.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/business/16leonhardt.html?_r=1

    • Very interesting, Scott … there is a mythological tale in the East that relates God’s boredom with “being the only ONE and having everything,” so he created the universe as a a “play” to enjoy its flow … Thus, it relates how even “God” was not happy just owning everything, so he shared in a way. Compare this with the Fourth Principle of Purposeful Action: “We are all in it together – as passengers in transit…”

      In addition, Scott, refer to the Third Principle of Purposeful Action: We are driven by our desires – and our “real – spiritual” growth can be measured in terms of the levels of desire that predominate in our minds and actions. PC

  6. I don’t think that owning everything brings happiness at all. I think it actually makes things worse. I would say that too much of ANYTHING brings more problems than happiness. For example, if I was to have a lot of money and was able buy anything I can think of, everything would lose its value to me and nothing would excite anymore. Everything would become ordinary and ordinary things don’t bring me happiness. I would stop to appreciate all the small things in my life…Why would anybody want to own EVERYTHING and perhaps everobody as well? If that’s the case, there is nothing else to strive for and your life at that point and everything becomes “boring and sad”….

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