Rich=Happy?

Most of us might think that being rich equals to being happy, since you can get whatever you want, be it toys or a world tour. Definitely these things makes us happy. But the process?

Although Singaporeans lead quite a luxurious lifestyle, we are not happy according to the Happiness Index. Countries like India are happier than us, even though they earn lesser than us. Why is that so? In my opinion, it is exactly because we are rich, that's why we are unhappy. With more money comes the stress from work for adults and also students whose parents want them to score higher marks so that they can secure a stabilized job in the future. All these stress accumulates in us, causing us to be unable to smile when walking down the streets or buying food from vendors etc. It has also caused many students committing suicide to escape the frustration that has been building up.

Also, another result of Singaporeans having a high income is the busy and fast paced lifestyle. Everyone is so busy, some of us work even on transportations like buses and MRTs. It is not rare that someone would be sighted doing his/her homework or an adult rummaging through files and folders while scrolling through their phones at the same time. Surprising how well we multitask, isn't it?

Our fast paced lifestyle has caused us to not even have time to greet neighbours in the lift or put on a smile on our faces. Everywhere we go there is only students rushing to go to school or adults struggling to complete tasks before the due date. Even with money, are we satisfied with what we have now? In this case, does being rich really equals to being happy?