Wednesday, February 28, 2007

More on the happiness-wealth correlation


Money isn't that important to being happy, despite my previous post on how to "buy" happiness.
No matter how hard you try, it won't be possible to use money to be happy unless you love what you do, and have close friends and family. Those are the very basics, just as a minimum amount of money is required for basic necessities.
There seems to be a lot of discussion regarding the money-wealth correlation. The Happiness Project talks about a recent study concluding that comparative wealth is more important for happiness than absolute wealth. The comments led me to a Yahoo! Finance column on Money & Happiness.

Why do people always wonder about happiness and wealth? I think it begins with the unthinking, righteous people who feel that they must instantly protest that money doesn't make a person happy. After all, people who want money are greedy, and greedy people are sinful and selfish and mean.

The study quoted in the Happiness Project concluded that people would rather earn $50,000 while other people made $25,000, than earn $100,000 while others made $250,000. This study does make me uncomfortable, it brings up too many beating-the-Joneses connotations. I really don't like using money to show off or impress others: there's too much schadenfreude involved.

Maybe that's why the self-righteous immediately protest against those who want to earn more: they just don't want to watch the neighbours driving a flashier car.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Singles in the USA


After Valentines Day, and after all that moaning by single women that there aren't any good guys out there, here are some interesting facts:



      • For 20-somethings: There are 119 single (never married, divorced, or widowed) men for every 100 single women.

      • For the over-65 crowd: There are 34 single (never married, divorced, or widowed) men for every 100 single women.

      • To find those singles: There are 904 off-line and online dating services in the U.S.

      (Source: The U.S. Census Bureau's "Facts for Features")


      Funny thing is, they don't mention how many men there are for 30-something women, the age group that is usually the most interested in finally settling down.


      And of course, US women don't need to stop complaining: maybe those available single men are ugly/unsuccessful/mean/stupid/etc.

      Sunday, February 25, 2007

      10 questions to ask before you join a new job


      Still unable to write a new post, I'm reposting another old article from my other blog. I hope it's of some help to job-seekers.


      When hunting for a job, most candidates are so busy trying to sell themselves, that they don’t research the company thoroughly enough to see if they’re a good fit or not.


      It’s very important for a candidate to ask questions about the company. If you’re looking for a job, you should definitely try to find out if working at the company will drive you crazy or not ;)
      Here are some questions that you should try to get answered. Many of these are not things that you can ask during your interview. The most valuable sources of information are usually friends who are currently working in the company, who know the company somehow, or who are working in the industry.


      Well, here are the questions:


      1. What type of work will I be doing? Establish this one early on. Ask for examples. We recently hired two people to conduct phone surveys. Anyone expecting to create policy reports would have been disappointed. So often, the job description is just a vague generalization of something the HR manager thought should be mentioned. And, in the real world, you will never get exactly what you expect. But it’s always better to ask: for a while, our Brand Management department was looking for people in different areas, although the designation for each was the same.

      2. Who will be on my team, and what is their background? You might be able to find this information online and the answer to this might not really change too much for you. But good people are good to be around. If very talented and smart people are on your team, work is more likely to be fun, you are more likely to meet people you’ll enjoy being around, and at the very least, you’ll pick up something. Good team members indicate that the team is capable, but the lack of them might also indicate that you will have the opportunity to build the team’s capabilities. (Ahem: assuming that you’re that good, of course!)

      3. Why do you want to hire someone? How will that person contribute?Sell yourself, describe how you’ll be able to contribute, and hope that it’s a good match. But wait, why should you just sit and hope? Go ahead and ask, what is it that they would like from their new employee? You’ll gain a much better understanding of what your future at the firm would be like.

      4. What are the issues facing this team, at the moment? This one shows your interest. Ideally, you will not ask this during the interview, but to some nice young people who work in that team. Someone might just mention the rivalry with the other department, and the chance that the division will be eliminated.

      5. What are the opportunities for this team in the future? Don’t ask this if the answer is very obvious. But if the division or project is new, this is the chance for your potential supervisor to paint a rosy future for you. You’ll get to judge if the best-case scenario is really something that you want.

      6. Will the company ownership change in the near future? Ok, so you probably won’t get an answer to this one. But try to find out. If there’s a chance, the rumors will be floating around. Someone working in the industry, or in the banking sector, might be able to answer this.

      7. What are the pay, benefits, etc? You will probably have to negotiate this one after you get the offer. But make sure to negotiate. Don’t just settle by not knowing the details. For instance, these days many companies have rules that state that an employee must return the signing bonus if he/she leaves before a certain period of time.

      8. Will I need to travel or work late hours? Whichever company you decide to join will appreciate it if you forget the clock and finish your work, meet deadlines, and go beyond the call of duty. But ask if late hours are normal (i.e. 4 out of 5 days), if you’ll need to work on weekends regularly, or if you’ll be required to travel a lot. Be honest with yourself as to how much of this you can handle sanely.

      9. What would be the future career path of someone entering this company in this position? Yet another chance for your future supervisor to wax on, hopefully. Just make sure that what he/she makes sense, and seems reasonable.

      10. What type of experience will I gain? This is slightly different from number 1. In essence, you are trying to find out how this position will improve your resume, what kind of value addition you will receive. Will you learn how to work with different types of people, make key contacts in the industry, gain skills that can be transferred to other industries…. What?

      Well, these are the questions that I came up with, I wonder if anyone has more suggestions?

      Monday, February 19, 2007

      How to "Buy" Happiness

      I need to regurgitate an old post of mine, from my previous (abandoned) blog. I'm unable to come up with creative new things, and I'm a bit depressed due to a number of reasons. So it's quite ironic that I'm going to talk about how to "buy" happiness. This post was also first written as part of the Problogger group writing project.

      Research shows that it's possible to use money to become happier. Of course, the most important things in life are free, but according to a 2004 poll by Associated Press, 56% of people earning more than $75,000 a year say they are "very satisfied" with life, while only 24% of people earning $25,000 or less a year say the say thing about their lives. However money can't guarantee happiness. After all, according to those numbers, 44% of people who earned more than $75,000 a year didn't claim to be "very satisfied" with life.

      There are certain things in life which are more important to happiness, than money: good health, a happy family life, good relationships, friends, a stress-free (or less stressful) life.
      Money can help to improve many of these factors, but first, a brief mention of the two most important things that money can't buy:

      1. Hearts: Just like the song, you "can't buy me love". Getting someone to love you takes a lot of things, including plain dumb luck. Never try to spend your way into someone's heart
      2. Respect and Admiration: Your new luxury car or huge plasma TV will not make people admire you. Yes, they will think you are trying to impress. And of course they will wonder about just how insecure you are. But if you want someone to look up to you, you'll have to make use of what you have inside yourself, not what you have inside your garage

      Despite the fact that money can't guarantee happiness, there are some ways in which money will make you happier:

      1. Comfort: Money can buy you a sense of security. Not having to worry about the details of survival is a wonderful things. Insurance and health cover remove some of the uncertainties that would plague us otherwise.
      2. Education: We're happier when faced with a challenge, and we have an immense capacity to grow. Whether it's learning about art history or taking cooking classes, most of us have interests which we'd be happier pursuing.
      3. Travel: Travel broadens our horizons and lets us experience the wonder of something new. The funny thing is, even if a trip is bad, we tend to remember a lot of great things about it, later on.
      4. A life full of experiences: I am definitely a person who'd prefer to save the money than to splurge on Starbucks, but small daily pleasures do add up, whether it's gourmet coffee, great home-cooked food, or a glass of nice wine. For some people, life is better when it's enriched with the arts: reading a daily poem, or visiting the museum, might be your cup of tea.
      5. Memories: Life is better when you have something to remind yourself of your wonderful past. Take pictures, buy silly souvenirs, and leave things that remind you of where you've been, nearby.
      6. Beautiful surroundings: Money can buy you a nice home, nice interior decoration, and expensive flowers. As humans, we tend to appreciate the beautiful things in life, so it's worthwhile spending to make our living spaces a joy to look at.
      7. Beauty: We may be fickle, but study after study shows that attractive people are happier. I'm completely against obsessing with looks, but spending a bit for a good haircut, comfortable and stylish clothes, and mood-enhancing perfume, certainly pays off. And any woman will tell you that shoes are a girl's second-best friend :)
      8. Nearness to work: I can't remember the exact studies right now, but I once read about how the daily commute adds to our stress. And I don't think that anyone loves their commute. So, live near your office, or work at home. If you can't do those, try to make the commute less horrible, be it with an i-Pod, or a chauffeur-driven car.
      9. Health: Money can't buy you health, but you can certainly spend on healthy things that will make you feel better, including organic food, a swimming pool and gym membership. It's up to you to put the healthy things you buy, to good use. Of course, money can also buy treatment options, but a good health plan should cover those. (I have to add here that a commenter on my previous blog mentioned that many insurance plans do not cover serious and chronic illnesses. Having the money to pay for such situations can certainly be helpful)
      10. Relaxation: Soothing music, yoga classes and massages: don't dismiss them before you've tried them.
      11. Friends: In no way can money buy you friends. But we're happy when we're social, and money spent on friends and being friendly, makes us happier in the long run. So, that Sunday brunch, your best friend's birthday gift, and the dinner party you were planning to host, are all worth the time and effort. And money.
      12. Kids: Obviously, I'm not suggesting you buy kids, or even attempt to buy their affection. But they're expensive brats, and spending on them goes a long way (as any parent will attest). I feel like this is a self-explanatory point, but whether it's spending to get the kids out of the way (baby sitting) or to make them more tolerable to be around (education, entertainment, food, etc) kids tend to make us happier.
      13. Pets: Furry friends make our lives fun, and studies show that they lead to lower stress. Unfortunately, just like kids, pets tend to be expensive: apparently, they're worth that expense.
      14. Romance: Your relationship with your s.o. is the most important one in your life, so spend what you need to, to make it work: from flowers to diamonds to a second honeymoon.
      15. Time: This, in my opinion, is the single most important thing that money can buy. None of us have more than 24 hours in a day. Trying to extract the most out of each of those precious hours is one of the most difficult things to do. Money can help you to do it, be it through gadgets, a chauffeur or a private jet.

      I'm very anti-consumer-debt, so I don't think any of the above is worth buying on credit. Although buying something on credit might make you happy temporarily, in the long run, you're likely to have to cut back on your lifestyle in order to repay those loans.

      Many of these items are not applicable to people trying to live on a stringent budget, for whatever reason. However, if you've got the cash and are considering whether to buy a yatch or a luxury sedan, don't. Spend the money on a chauffeur instead, or use it to visit your local cafe each day, where you can enjoy gourmet coffee and meet new friends.

      Saturday, February 17, 2007

      My favorite blogs

      A while back, I was in a job which I had either mechanized, or taught my future successors to complete: about to leave, demotivated and slightly cynical of the whole organization, I spent most of my time on the internet.
      Unfortunately, after all that time spent browsing, I've only fallen in love with two blogs: these are the blogs that I try to read daily, that cheer me up immensely, and which I miss, when I don't read them.
      The first one is the Happiness Project, about a journey in search of happiness principles that actually work. The writer tests each principle in her own life, and chronicles her difficulties and successes beautifully. It's touching, and heart-warming. And not at all a cliche like my last sentence.
      My other favorite is a business blog, which many might not like, but I love it almost as much as I love business. BusinessPundit is realistic and relevant.

      "Life is a marathon, not a sprint"
      I was forced to update my blog after reading this quote. However, I'm unable to write something creative; my grandmother passed away recently, I'm ill, and I'm dealing with very difficult family members. I thought I'd take this uncreative time to mention the blogs which I can't go without.

      Wednesday, February 14, 2007

      Love Quotes

      For those with someone special, a Swedish proverb:
      Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I really need it.

      And those planning to get drunk by tonight:
      Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

      Happy Valentines Day!

      Tuesday, February 13, 2007

      Lenox Avenue: Midnight

      This is currently one of my favorite poems. It's by Langston Hughes.



      Sunday, February 11, 2007

      Cute puppy pictures!!


      Over time, I will probably copy a few good posts from my previous blog. I think I'll do that on days when I don't have the time to write an original post.
      In the meantime, here are some adorable puppies, found via this website








      Hating Valentine's Day

      This article sums up almost all the reasons to hate Valentine's Day.

      I'm a Valentine's Day hater too. What's with all the flowers and gifts and cards on this obvious Hallmark Holiday? Really, if you love someone, you should celebrate your love everyday in unique ways, not one day a year with trite symbols.

      In some ways, Valentine's Day is pretty terrible for even the most perfect couples. If you like the holiday, then just how far do you go? Should you get her something more expensive than what you got for her birthday?

      On the other hand, even self-proclaimed V-Day haters have some expectations, as mentioned in the article. For some its flowers, or a card.

      And all this is making me wonder, is The Boy expecting anything?

      Why Blog?

      I did a google search on "why should I start blogging?" a few days back. All I came up with were "how to start blogging" articles.

      Does that mean that nobody wonders about the reasons for having a blog? Is blogging already so overhyped that no-one questions the reasons for a blogs existance?

      I started another blog once, and used to post rather seriously. I thought, I might ultimately monetize it and earn some revenue. That was the motivating factor which got me started. Since I was working the corporate life back then, I thought I'd try to help people starting out in that environment.
      Within a while, I felt like I didn't have anything useful to contribute. Honestly speaking, I didn't like my job that much; I was planning to quit and go to Australia for my Masters degree. I don't want to say too many negative things, but suffice to say that I was disilluisoned with my corporate life. I didn't feel like promoting that life anymore.

      Blogging as a way of earning income has been popularized recently, especially by such six-figure-writers as Steve Pavlina and Darren Rowse. But earning money should not be the sole motivating factor for starting a blog: it's easier to just get a job, or to work harder at an existing one.

      I think you should only start a blog if you have something useful to contribute. Don't just link to other sites. And don't write on something that you're not passionate about.

      One of my favorite sites, BusinessPundit has quite a few posts on the mediocrity of the masses. Ultimately, when we need high-quality information, we seek out the experts. The majority of bloggers are not experts, even if they are very good. So blog only if you're an expert, or if you can channel wisdom from other experts.

      In short, you should blog if:
      1. You really love your chosen topic
      2. You're an expert on your topic, or can otherwise provide unique, useful content
      3. If you have the time and energy to do all this

      Blogging isn't easy, and that's why the majority of blogs die out pretty soon.

      So why did I start this particular blog? Well, I have the time for this now. But more importantly, I wanted a blog which would make its readers feel happy, and make me feel happy. I wanted to create the sort of blog which would light up its readers' day. In a way, this would be sort of like a personal Happiness Project for me.

      I heart sleeping


      One of my worst habits is sleeping too much.

      Sure, when I had classes, I was never late. But sometimes I overslept to the point of having to miss a free breakfast, and I really love food. It's just that my love for sleeping is so much greater...


      I've read a lot on the benefits of waking up early. I've even read up on how to wake up early. I've tried to motivate myself by planning the next day: wake up early so that I can work on my blog, read up on Greek Mythology, etc etc. But it's all futile.


      I'm on an extended vacation now, so I kind of feel entitle to sleeping in. And I love the drowsy feeling when you're half-awake.


      Sometime in the future, I'll wake up early regularly. And I'll think of how silly I was to love sleeping so much.

      A small oversight

      I sat down to write a cheerful blog post, but when I clicked "view blog" I found my template changes, and most recent blog entry missing.
      How could this happen, I wondered. Is Blogger that bad a service? But I saved everything, how...?

      A while later I realized. I had initially started another, different blog, on which I didn't do much work, before deciding to focus on "Happiness Creator". I'd clicked a wrong link on the dashboard, and had wasted quite a bit of time. Not to mention, my mood went down pretty fast.

      From now on, I'm paying more attention to the details.

      Satisficing at work

      Initially, I wanted the picture of the Heart Coffee to be my header image. But then hey, strawberries can make you feel happy too!
      I'm off now, having given up on my struggles to create the perfect image.
      Maybe this is an illustration of the satisficer principle: sometimes, good enough is good enough.

      Saturday, February 10, 2007