<p>Mao Zedong, Pol Pot & Fidel Castro also thought doing without material things was enobling…</p>
<p>As did Gandhi, and that funny guy named Jesus…</p>
<p>Yeah but those two guys didn’t forcibly impose their idealogy on everyone.</p>
<p>No, just the followers of the latter, for much of the past 2,000 years.</p>
<p>mini i was thinking just that
plus
Prince Siddhartha, Dalai Lama. the list is long</p>
<p>Yikes…that mindset is 2 generations ago I would give my children almost anything, not everything,they’d ever want or need, as lng as we could afford it…</p>
<p>Where did I say my kids were deprived? What were they deprived of?</p>
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<p>right here…</p>
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<p>Agreed, at least up to the point where your choices interfere with mine. But when some people trumpet those lifestyles as the preferred way to live, other people with different values have the right to express their disagreement.</p>
<p>Material possessions by themselves aren’t inherently bad things. Biblically speaking,i don’t exactly recall a commandment to toss the BMW out of the garage. Just don’t steal it, don’t covet someone else’s and don’t worship it more than your God and you’re cool. </p>
<p>Yes I’m being tongue in cheek. But this thread has taken quite a turn.</p>
<p>To address the title of the thread: Money or Happiness,</p>
<p>Happiness matters up to a point. There has to be balance. One’s pursuit of their happiness should not neccesitate involuntarily infringing on someone else’s happiness (e.g. moving in with the parents).</p>
<p>As long as we’re throwing around names, I could add Bernie Madoff, Michael Milken, Kenneth Lay …</p>
<p>Annasdad, or you could mention Bill Gates who has money and is make making many others happy by donating his money to them or causes that benefit them</p>
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<p>Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” – Matthew 19:21</p>
<p>Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. – Luke 12:33</p>
<p>@annasdad, by throwing out the names of uber-wealthy crooks, are you saying that wealth is intrinsically dirty?</p>
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<p>usually people who say this are unsuccessful at accumulating material things. only those who have had it all and chose not to continue down that road have made the “choice”. most people are forced to accept where they are in the material world. just saying.</p>
<p>thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s TV, nor his SUV, nor his six figure job, nor his full pay 50K, nor his as<em>s, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
maybe the only one thing I don’t want is his as</em>s</p>
<p>ProudMom, ^ is this bad or OK to say?</p>
<p>I think the bottom line in this increasingly contentious discussion is that people are entitled to their own opinions, and other people shouldn’t be ramming their values down other peoples’ throats</p>
<p>Since this is college confidential, I can’t help but wonder where paying for your child’s college education falls on the list of doing with or without.</p>
<p>To the OP; when I was a senior in college, I was waitlisted for medical school, and had a job lined up working at a preschool (with a BS in biology!). At the time, I was somewhat relieved, and “knew” I would enjoy spending my days with three and four year olds. </p>
<p>Now days? Not so much. I still love hanging out with three and four year olds, but one at a time please, and with lots of breaks!</p>
<p>( I did get into med school and went.)</p>
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<p>No - but learning not to lust after material things - and learning that one is not entitled to material things beyond that necessary to live a reasonably comfortable life - makes one a better person.</p>
<p>@Shrinkrap, only the middle-class has to do without to send their kids to college. Rich can afford it, and the poor get a free ride.</p>