Money is a large determinant in today’s society on whether we live comfortably or not. But are we able to live happily? I was most interested to hear the opinions of my peers in regards to the economy and see if they were related to the ideas of living happily with money. I feel as though students today may be uninformed about the economy. So by asking several people on my floor the question of ” What do you believe are some important aspects of the economy?” I gained insight into their perspectives on it. 

I first asked my friend Abigail the question. She replied: “I believe the economy has gotten better in the past couple of years, the minimum wage is going up.” Although it is proven that the economy has slightly improved over the last couple of years and employment rates are on the rise, her response made me think of those who work for minimum wage and whether they are living happily. I know that my brother is employed in  Disney World and works for slightly over minimum wage, but he is the happiest he’s ever been. I notice that those who are heads of large corporations and make big money are not so happy because of personal anxieties. Next, my friend Lexi responded to my question with: “I don’t agree with how the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.” This made me realize that today’s society has a large rich-poor gap. No matter how rich or not a person is, happiness may only be achieved with love and a positive mindset. Although the poor are getting poorer, it may be more likely that they are living more happily whereas the rich may be working nonstop and rarely home. My friend Gabby states: “Overall the economy is not the problem it’s the people who are involved in the outside problems that have to do with the economy because the poor people continue to suffer.” I agree with Gabby’s response because poor people are continuing to suffer due to the actions of other higher powers. It’s not fair that poor people are worse off. 

After listening to my friend’s responses, it made me think that no amount of money in the world could bring happiness. It could help, don’t get me wrong, but if one doesn’t have a positive mindset or is loved properly, that is the only thing that matters.