3 ms·

Start traveling. It will give you a lot of different perspective on how big the world is and what an abstract thing is the concept of money.

telesilla 8y ago
I completely agree. You must travel! It's a cliche but it's true: the happiest people are those who live in poorer but highly social communities. Think, latin America and south east Asia. Try southern Mexico, Belize, Peru, Ecuador, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia - you won't regret it for a moment. But don't stay in a resort: find a high-rated AirBnB with a local host where you feel safe (all of those countries have very safe areas to travel through) and get to know the pace of life for a few days. Personally I find I need 10 days in one place to feel like it's familiar and I can start to understand the rhythms. Visit the local markets and restaurants, stay away from the multinationals like Starbucks and the tourist blackholes like Cancun. I know for Americans time is valuable, but even a few days flying as far south as you can get will be insightful and energising.
- badpun 8y ago
  > the happiest people are those who live in poorer but highly social communities. Think, latin America and south east Asia. Try southern Mexico, Belize, Peru, Ecuador, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia I'm highly sceptical of it. If they're so happy, why so many of people in those countries make desperate efforts to emigrate to a developed country?
  - telesilla 8y ago
    I didn't mean to sound glib. Of course not all communities are happy - many are deeply impoverished, overrun with cartels or politic issues, suffering from scarce resources whether from politics or weather-related issues. There is a massive difference between a lower-middle class neighbourhood in Mexico City and a poor village in Honduras where there is no education, jobs or security. The mass immigration isn't happening from areas where people are safe and comfortable, it's happening in places stricken by war for so long that people are desperate. Most people don't want to leave their families, their friends, their communities and culture. So yes, there are amazing parts of the world where in the same country there are people trying to emigrate due to bad circumstance, and those who are truly happy with what they have.

telesilla 8y ago

I completely agree. You must travel! It's a cliche but it's true: the happiest people are those who live in poorer but highly social communities. Think, latin America and south east Asia. Try southern Mexico, Belize, Peru, Ecuador, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia - you won't regret it for a moment. But don't stay in a resort: find a high-rated AirBnB with a local host where you feel safe (all of those countries have very safe areas to travel through) and get to know the pace of life for a few days. Personally I find I need 10 days in one place to feel like it's familiar and I can start to understand the rhythms. Visit the local markets and restaurants, stay away from the multinationals like Starbucks and the tourist blackholes like Cancun. I know for Americans time is valuable, but even a few days flying as far south as you can get will be insightful and energising.

badpun 8y ago
> the happiest people are those who live in poorer but highly social communities. Think, latin America and south east Asia. Try southern Mexico, Belize, Peru, Ecuador, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia I'm highly sceptical of it. If they're so happy, why so many of people in those countries make desperate efforts to emigrate to a developed country?
- telesilla 8y ago
  I didn't mean to sound glib. Of course not all communities are happy - many are deeply impoverished, overrun with cartels or politic issues, suffering from scarce resources whether from politics or weather-related issues. There is a massive difference between a lower-middle class neighbourhood in Mexico City and a poor village in Honduras where there is no education, jobs or security. The mass immigration isn't happening from areas where people are safe and comfortable, it's happening in places stricken by war for so long that people are desperate. Most people don't want to leave their families, their friends, their communities and culture. So yes, there are amazing parts of the world where in the same country there are people trying to emigrate due to bad circumstance, and those who are truly happy with what they have.