> The question is: Would you rather be a poor man in a rich society or a rich man in a poor one? I've read a couple of studies that link happiness to how wealt

> The question is: Would you rather be a poor man in a rich society or a rich man in a poor one? I've read a couple of studies that link happiness to how wealthy you are relative to your friends and your neighbours. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_income_hypothesis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relative_income_hypothesis http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/09/suicide-rate-rich-neighborhoods_n_2102777.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/09/suicide-rate-rich-n... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7497380/Money-only-makes-you-happy-if-you-have-more-than-neighbours.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7497... So each individual would be happier if they were that rich person. Obviously the other neighbours less so. If the choice is based on whether you want the whole world richer or poorer, then it's a bit more abstract. We're built to look for relative advantage and we'll do it whether it's measured by a better stick or a nicer logo/wife/jet/body/mind. We're already in that richer society (relative to most of our forefathers), but we abstract away the improved situation and compete in any environment we find ourselves in, and are (again, in general) happy to the extent that we succeed. I love the saying "Youth is wasted on the young". For an old person, wealth would be the opportunity to go for a run again, meet a girl, or have the energy and opportunity to try some venture again. No matter what country you live in, most will experience these things - youth, friends, love, loss, possibly children, competition, failure and success. So unless you're actually in a war situation being hunted down by a rival tribe or army, life's not bad.