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5 Things You Think Will Make You Happy (But Won't)
Cracked.com ^ | 2/17/09 | David Wong, Elizabeth Benefiel

Posted on 02/19/2009 9:31:20 AM PST by Slings and Arrows

If 80s movies taught us anything, it's that at some point you're going to run into a mysterious relic that lets you switch bodies with other people.

Would you use it? Would you choose to switch lives with, say, Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie or Dale DeBone? Most people would.

But let's say the artifact doesn't let you choose, but will instead switch you randomly with one of the other six billion people on the planet. Virtually nobody will take that deal, for fear they'd switch with some poor villager in Nigeria.

So what does that say about us? Well, according to experts, it says almost everything we think about what would make us happy is dead wrong. Let's look at the five things we're most wrong about, with some pictures of adorable animals for good measure.

(Excerpt) Read more at cracked.com ...


TOPICS: Humor; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS:
WARNING: Strong Language.

Running across this article at Cracked.com is a bit like finding a diamond in a septic tank. It's very thought-provoking.

Previously on FR by the same author: 7 Reasons the 21st Century is Making You Miserable

1 posted on 02/19/2009 9:31:21 AM PST by Slings and Arrows
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To: Slings and Arrows; MeekOneGOP; Conspiracy Guy; DocRock; King Prout; Darksheare; OSHA; ...
Not so much a funny ping as things-that-make-you-go-hmmm ping.


2 posted on 02/19/2009 9:32:53 AM PST by Slings and Arrows (This disaster brought to you by the failed Obama administration.)
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To: Slings and Arrows

Egads! Profound. Now for the “5 Most Half-Assed Monsters in Movie History”...


3 posted on 02/19/2009 9:52:14 AM PST by sinanju
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To: Slings and Arrows

This is nonsense. These are the *myths* that are promoted about the things that people often desire. But note that they are *always* done from the perspective of someone who doesn’t have them.

But in truth, those that already have them have something in common: they all work to *keep* what they have.

Wealthy people spend a lot of time keeping themselves wealthy.
The same with beautiful people. They work hard to keep their illusion.
And think about famous people, who spend half their time posing for paparazzi, and the other half complaining about paparazzi.


4 posted on 02/19/2009 9:54:22 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

OK, what about geniuses?


5 posted on 02/19/2009 9:55:17 AM PST by Slings and Arrows (This disaster brought to you by the failed Obama administration.)
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To: Slings and Arrows

BTTT


6 posted on 02/19/2009 9:56:04 AM PST by HangnJudge
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To: Slings and Arrows
I love this article! So true. Beauty doesn't bring happiness, excess money doesn't bring happiness and the only true friends are the ones who care enough to show it.

But - it may be a shock for the guys to realize there is no perfection, that all their glamor girls are 'touched up' so to speak. Lol


7 posted on 02/19/2009 10:03:24 AM PST by potlatch
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To: Slings and Arrows

Geniuses have a natural ability, who don’t worry about keeping their ability. (Unlike SOME who worry about keeping their money or looks—note I use the word ‘some’ because not all of the wealthiest are worried nor are the most beautiful vain).

Intriguing article!


8 posted on 02/19/2009 10:06:10 AM PST by Freedom2specul8 (Please pray for our troops.... http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/)
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To: Slings and Arrows

Correction: note I use the word ‘some’ because not all of the wealthiest are worried nor are ‘all’ the most beautiful vain).


9 posted on 02/19/2009 10:09:34 AM PST by Freedom2specul8 (Please pray for our troops.... http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/)
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To: Slings and Arrows
But let's say the artifact doesn't let you choose, but will instead switch you randomly with one of the other six billion people on the planet. Virtually nobody will take that deal, for fear they'd switch with some poor villager in Nigeria.

Or for fear that they'd switch with some RAT. Now that is really scary.

10 posted on 02/19/2009 10:13:31 AM PST by freespirited (Help save humanity. Cure the RINOvirus.)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

All I ask is a chance to prove that money can’t make me happy.


11 posted on 02/19/2009 10:20:23 AM PST by the_devils_advocate_666
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To: the_devils_advocate_666

Like one of the comments at the article pointed out, money can’t buy happiness, but poverty can’t buy anything.


12 posted on 02/19/2009 10:38:20 AM PST by Slings and Arrows (This disaster brought to you by the failed Obama administration.)
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To: Slings and Arrows

“I don’t care about losing all the money, it’s losing all the stuff.” - Bernadette Peters (The Jerk)


13 posted on 02/19/2009 10:39:35 AM PST by dfwgator (1996 2006 2008 - Good Things Come in Threes)
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To: Slings and Arrows

condensed version:

Don’t be a self-centered, selfish prick. Don’t worry about what others are thinking about you. Help and do for others.

Sheesh, it’s like some bad joke, here are the answers to happiness, and too many sad sacks refuse to believe it and run off to make themselves miserable.


14 posted on 02/19/2009 10:42:59 AM PST by Sax
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To: the_devils_advocate_666

Me also. I hear the stories of people winning millions in the lottery and how unhappy they are. I want the chance to prove that I can be happy, very, very happy if I win the big bucks.


15 posted on 02/19/2009 10:48:40 AM PST by alarm rider ("We laugh at honor, and are shocked to find traitors in our midst" C.S. Lewis)
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To: the_devils_advocate_666
The age old question is:
Would you rather be miserable and rich OR miserable and poor?
16 posted on 02/19/2009 10:52:16 AM PST by spectre (sw )(Congress lied...the economy died)
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To: alarm rider

I spend $1 on Powerball whenever the drawing is for over $100 million. I find it’s worth the dollar just for the time I get to spend fantasying about what I’m going to do with all my winnings!


17 posted on 02/19/2009 10:54:23 AM PST by the_devils_advocate_666
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To: spectre

While money can’t buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.

While money doesn’t buy love, it puts you in a great bargaining position.


18 posted on 02/19/2009 10:56:13 AM PST by the_devils_advocate_666
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To: sinanju
I submit Robot Monster. A guy in a gorilla suit and a diving helmet.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

19 posted on 02/19/2009 11:25:56 AM PST by Cyber Ninja (His legacy is a stain OnTheDress)
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To: Slings and Arrows
Well, I'm not famous, rich, beautiful, genius or...I've already forgotten the 5th one. But those cute animal pictures made me very happy.
20 posted on 02/19/2009 5:45:06 PM PST by meowmeow (In Loving Memory of Our Dear Viking Kitty (1987-2006))
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