Why rich people are unhappy

As we move up the income ladder, we often become more isolated. More money, more work. They work longer hours than poorer men in the U.

In the last generation, they have reduced their leisure time by more than any other demographic. The issue here is that while work does provide life satisfaction, working insanely long hours prevents us from doing things proven to make us happy like spend more time with our families.

Follow her on Twitter CateyHill. Home Personal Finance Moneyish. Moneyish The dark reasons so many rich people are miserable human beings Published: Feb. One of the greatest enjoyments for Peter Hargreaves, an English self-made billionaire and the founder of Hargreaves Lansdown, is "digging vegetables for lunch on a Sunday morning. And let's not forget other billionaire traits and habits that support happiness: belief, optimism, trust, having a purpose and following your mission, taking care of your health, being proactive, being yourself and not bending yourself, personal integrity, and giving back.

Of course, all of the above doesn't protect billionaires from personal tragedies like illness or grief after the loss of loved ones. And, of course, not all billionaires are happy. But considering all the factors, billionaires are on average happier than the rest of us for the above reasons. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation.

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It often indicates a user profile. Log out. US Markets Loading H M S In the news. Executive Lifestyle. Rafael Badziag, Contributor. Billionaires have choices, opportunities, and strong relationships — all three of which make them happy. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Get a daily selection of our top stories based on your reading preferences. Loading Something is loading.

Email address. Money is a symbol of potential, therefore it represents potential energy. Every potential requires force to set it in motion, and what better force is there than your mind? Regardless of your financial status, it is your thoughts that drive the potential of money in motion. Having the right mindset towards money can make a poor person appreciate life more which in turn makes them happier.

Whereas their rich counterparts with a crappy mindset is left sulking in misery. When it comes to the significance of money in our daily lives, most people only associate its use with basically two things. A means to cover living expenses, and material things. But for the rich, having and making money is a symbol of both status and power. That is why most rich people struggle into keeping their status by finding more ways to make more money.

Their goal is limited to avoiding falling from that status quo. This mindset depreciates the true potential of what money can bring into their lives.

Imagine if you use that money to buy the freedom to use your own time as you please? Could you spend your money to immerse yourself in experiences that create awesome memories that last forever? Having so many doors of possibility available to you is one of the privileges of being rich. Being rich is not just about having an abundance of money but having the freedom to use the money to make your life worthwhile.

One of the most important things that the Holy Bible keeps telling us is to steer away from the love of money. This is something that we wholeheartedly agree to. When your happiness relies upon having financial gains and when you feel grieved whenever you spend it, that is an undeniable sign that you love money. People with more money to love, aka the rich, often fall prey to this pitfall of unhappiness.

Love can be directly proportional to happiness. And by loving money, you are putting your happiness into a piece of paper.

Relying on money for happiness wastes your opportunity to create something more significant and more impactful for your life. Money holds value and it holds potential.

Yet, being unable to part from it turns all that potential to stone, or paper to be more precise. An unjustified attachment to money may also cause you to deprive yourself of necessities.

Though saving is not a bad habit to have, your basic needs should never be compromised for the sake of having extra pieces of paper in your wallet or e-wallet. Instead… treat yourself!