How I Heard About This: Many of my friends are actors, some of them are very successful, and a few of them follow Meisner's teaching. I decided to see if there was anything online from the man himself. Turns out there is.
Main Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNuFSrsYfpM
Backup Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meisner_technique
Topic: Film-Making/Acting Techniques
Details: Meisner talks here about acting as "being" and actually doing. "The seed to the craft of acting is the reality of doing". Really interesting.
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Archetypal Characters...
How I Heard About This: Before putting pen to paper I am studying some of the books that were on our recommended reading list for my film degree many years ago. One such book is The Writer's Journey, by Christopher Vogler. I highly recommend it if you want to learn anything more about story-writing.
Main Source: The Writer's Journey, by Christopher Vogler
Backup Source: http://annezo.net/fiction/archetype.html
Topic: Storytelling/Writing
The role of the Hero is familiar to us all. The word means, "to protect and to serve." Someone willing to sacrifice his own needs on behalf of others. The story, the Hero's Quest is "the search for identity and wholeness." Above and beyond the physical challenges the Hero faces, he must also come to terms with himself, he must change and grow. The audience identifies with the Hero though this process. He's responsible for most of the action in a story, he takes the risks and reaps the rewards (which he probably shares with others).
The Mentor figure is also familiar. Sometimes called, "The Wise Old Man/Woman," or the "Shaman." This is a positive figure who aids or trains the hero. The Mentor gives advice, gifts that will help the Hero on his journey, motivates, and sometimes acts as the Hero's conscience.
There are also Threshold Guardians. Characters whose function is to provide obstacles the Hero must overcome as he struggles to defeat them and strengthen himself for the ultimate battle with the "Shadow" or main villain. Threshold Guardians are stepping stones. As the Hero battles and defeats each of them (or recruits them as allies, as sometimes happens), the Hero becomes stronger, moves toward the end of his Quest.
The Shadow is the threat - the primary obstacle to the Hero's successful completion of his Quest, and should be strong enough to provide a worthy opponent. The Shadow can be the darker side of the Hero that he is trying to suppress. (An obvious example would be the "Evil Duncan" that emerges when MacLeod takes the Dark Quickening in Highlander. The best Heroes, and the best Quests incorporate both internal and external Shadows.)
Something to remember when creating your Shadow is that, to the villain, he is the Hero and it is the Hero who is the enemy/Shadow. We are all the Heroes of our own stories and history is written by the winners. Keeping this in mind will help you create more rounded, more challenging villains.
A necessary archetype is the Herald--the harbinger of change who delivers the "Call to Action" or challenge to the Hero. The Herald can be a minor character, a significant ally of the Hero's, or even an agent of the Shadow. The Call can be an event instead of a message delivered by a person. The way the Call is delivered, and the Hero's reaction to it, can tell the reader a great deal about the story and about the Hero. (Typically, the Hero refuses the Call in some manner characteristic of his internal weakness or doubts before he is persuaded to accept it, thus setting the scene for his struggles with his own nature later.)
The Trickster embodies the energy of mischief and the desire for change. Tricksters cut big egos down to size and, most importantly, provide comic relief that eases tension and brings the Hero (and the audience) down to earth. They also work to make fun of/highlight hypocrisy. Still, the Trickster's loyalty and motives can be in doubt. Is the Trickster an ally? An agent of the Shadow? Or an independent agent working to some private agenda? This character is so dedicated to laughing at the "status quo" and mocking everything around him that his true motives can remain in doubt.
The Shapeshifter can be "fickle, two-faced, or bewilderingly changeable" and functions to bring doubt and suspense to a story. If you find yourself wondering if a character is going to betray the Hero, if the character is an ally or an enemy, that character is probably a Shapeshifter. (The Shapeshifter-Trickster is a common combination.) Think of the femme fatale of famous noir films. Those characters were almost always Shapeshifters. (In mythology, think of Zeus changing into a beam or light or some other animate or inanimate object to pursue a maiden. In those contexts, Zeus is acting as a Shapeshifter.) Shapeshifting can be signaled by a character changing appearance, behavior, or by lying.
None of these are mutually exclusive characteristics. Also, a character can serve more than one function, and his or her primary function can change as the story progresses.
For more information please read: http://annezo.net/fiction/archetype.html
Main Source: The Writer's Journey, by Christopher Vogler
Backup Source: http://annezo.net/fiction/archetype.html
Topic: Storytelling/Writing
The role of the Hero is familiar to us all. The word means, "to protect and to serve." Someone willing to sacrifice his own needs on behalf of others. The story, the Hero's Quest is "the search for identity and wholeness." Above and beyond the physical challenges the Hero faces, he must also come to terms with himself, he must change and grow. The audience identifies with the Hero though this process. He's responsible for most of the action in a story, he takes the risks and reaps the rewards (which he probably shares with others).
The Mentor figure is also familiar. Sometimes called, "The Wise Old Man/Woman," or the "Shaman." This is a positive figure who aids or trains the hero. The Mentor gives advice, gifts that will help the Hero on his journey, motivates, and sometimes acts as the Hero's conscience.
There are also Threshold Guardians. Characters whose function is to provide obstacles the Hero must overcome as he struggles to defeat them and strengthen himself for the ultimate battle with the "Shadow" or main villain. Threshold Guardians are stepping stones. As the Hero battles and defeats each of them (or recruits them as allies, as sometimes happens), the Hero becomes stronger, moves toward the end of his Quest.
The Shadow is the threat - the primary obstacle to the Hero's successful completion of his Quest, and should be strong enough to provide a worthy opponent. The Shadow can be the darker side of the Hero that he is trying to suppress. (An obvious example would be the "Evil Duncan" that emerges when MacLeod takes the Dark Quickening in Highlander. The best Heroes, and the best Quests incorporate both internal and external Shadows.)
Something to remember when creating your Shadow is that, to the villain, he is the Hero and it is the Hero who is the enemy/Shadow. We are all the Heroes of our own stories and history is written by the winners. Keeping this in mind will help you create more rounded, more challenging villains.
A necessary archetype is the Herald--the harbinger of change who delivers the "Call to Action" or challenge to the Hero. The Herald can be a minor character, a significant ally of the Hero's, or even an agent of the Shadow. The Call can be an event instead of a message delivered by a person. The way the Call is delivered, and the Hero's reaction to it, can tell the reader a great deal about the story and about the Hero. (Typically, the Hero refuses the Call in some manner characteristic of his internal weakness or doubts before he is persuaded to accept it, thus setting the scene for his struggles with his own nature later.)
The Trickster embodies the energy of mischief and the desire for change. Tricksters cut big egos down to size and, most importantly, provide comic relief that eases tension and brings the Hero (and the audience) down to earth. They also work to make fun of/highlight hypocrisy. Still, the Trickster's loyalty and motives can be in doubt. Is the Trickster an ally? An agent of the Shadow? Or an independent agent working to some private agenda? This character is so dedicated to laughing at the "status quo" and mocking everything around him that his true motives can remain in doubt.
The Shapeshifter can be "fickle, two-faced, or bewilderingly changeable" and functions to bring doubt and suspense to a story. If you find yourself wondering if a character is going to betray the Hero, if the character is an ally or an enemy, that character is probably a Shapeshifter. (The Shapeshifter-Trickster is a common combination.) Think of the femme fatale of famous noir films. Those characters were almost always Shapeshifters. (In mythology, think of Zeus changing into a beam or light or some other animate or inanimate object to pursue a maiden. In those contexts, Zeus is acting as a Shapeshifter.) Shapeshifting can be signaled by a character changing appearance, behavior, or by lying.
None of these are mutually exclusive characteristics. Also, a character can serve more than one function, and his or her primary function can change as the story progresses.
For more information please read: http://annezo.net/fiction/archetype.html
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Cheating a Rubik's Cube...
How I Heard About This: A guy I met at a party a few weeks ago mentioned that he'd just learnt how to solve a Rubik's cube. He tried to explain it to me, but without a cube, it was usless. Today I tried to look it up...
Main Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsQIoPyfQzM
Backup Source: http://www.rubikssolver.com/
Topic: Problem Solving/Puzzles
Details: There are always going to be some days that I learn about something but realise that I don't have the time to fully learn it. Today was one of those days. I did learn how to safely "cheat" by taking apart a Rubik's cube. It's pretty simple, you rotate the top layer by 45 degrees and then pop off one of the middle cubes on that top layer (ie. one with only 2 faces showing). I've ordered a Rubik's cube from Amazon, I'll get practicing and maybe one day I'll have a blog post that says "Solve a Rubik's cube".
If you want to have a go then "Dan Brown" has a go at it in this video:
Main Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsQIoPyfQzM
Backup Source: http://www.rubikssolver.com/
Topic: Problem Solving/Puzzles
Details: There are always going to be some days that I learn about something but realise that I don't have the time to fully learn it. Today was one of those days. I did learn how to safely "cheat" by taking apart a Rubik's cube. It's pretty simple, you rotate the top layer by 45 degrees and then pop off one of the middle cubes on that top layer (ie. one with only 2 faces showing). I've ordered a Rubik's cube from Amazon, I'll get practicing and maybe one day I'll have a blog post that says "Solve a Rubik's cube".
If you want to have a go then "Dan Brown" has a go at it in this video:
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Pareto's 80/20 Principle...
How I Heard About This: This is something I'd vaguely heard about before but doing some research today on business I found something rather interesting.
Main Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle
Backup Source: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Stelling1.html
Topic: Lifestyle/Economics
Details: The Pareto principle is also known as the 80-20 rule, the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparsity. It simply states that in many cases: 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Joseph M. Juran devised the principle and named it after the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who noted that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population.
Juran went on to show how 80% of the productivity in a business come from the top 20% "star" workers. It is also commonly known that 80% of wealth in the world is owned by only 20% of the people.
It can then be applied to our own lives in many ways. For example when we set about work on a project we do almost 80% of it in 20% of the time. The other 20% is spent fiddling with the details to get it right. It has been suggested by a great number of people that if we just let it go around 80% we'd have a lot more time to do other projects and have better lives.
I'm still in the middle of being convinced of the application in my own life, but I can already think of ways that it can be used to save a LOT of time.
Main Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle
Backup Source: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Stelling1.html
Topic: Lifestyle/Economics
Details: The Pareto principle is also known as the 80-20 rule, the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparsity. It simply states that in many cases: 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Joseph M. Juran devised the principle and named it after the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who noted that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population.
Juran went on to show how 80% of the productivity in a business come from the top 20% "star" workers. It is also commonly known that 80% of wealth in the world is owned by only 20% of the people.
It can then be applied to our own lives in many ways. For example when we set about work on a project we do almost 80% of it in 20% of the time. The other 20% is spent fiddling with the details to get it right. It has been suggested by a great number of people that if we just let it go around 80% we'd have a lot more time to do other projects and have better lives.
I'm still in the middle of being convinced of the application in my own life, but I can already think of ways that it can be used to save a LOT of time.
Friday, 15 January 2010
There Are Only 7 Stories Ever...
How I Heard About This: At university we studied the 7 basic story archetypes. Today I found a website that described them so well I had to include them here.
Main Source: Suite101.com - http://writingforstagescreen.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_seven_basic_plots
Backup Source:
Topic: Storytelling/Writing
There are apparently only seven basic plot archetypes, it is from these that almost every story ever written is derived. Any story you read or watch at the cinema will a combination of one or more of these. The descriptions are taken from the fantastic suite101 website.
* The Quest
The Quest story model revolves around a central protagonist striving to meet an all important and often far off goal. The hero cannot rest until this task has been completed. Along this journey the hero will be met with obstacles and forces trying to stop him from achieving his goal.
Examples of the this story model are The Lord of the Rings, Apocalypse Now, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
* Voyage and Return
Much like the Quest, the Voyage and Return story type is based around a journey. In this plot type the hero is transported to another world and then back again. On this journey the protagonist learns things that give him a deeper understanding of himself and the world around him.
Examples of Voyage and Return stories are Alice in Wonderland, Gulliver's Travels, Back to the Future, the Wizard of Oz.
* Rebirth
In the rebirth story type the protagonist is often cast under some dark spell either instigated by himself or an outside force. The heroes liberation can only be achieved through the actions of other good forces. In these story types the redemptive power of love can be a liberating force. What is striking about the Rebirth story type is that the protagonists imprisonment is derived from something from within his own psyche.
Examples of the Rebirth story type are A Christmas Carol, Beauty and the Beast.
* Comedy
Defining the Comedy story archetype is problematic as in modern times the term has come to mean simply anything that is funny. Therefore stories constructed from the other basic plot types have been mistakenly termed comedies.
Aristotle described comedy as showing people to be worse than they are and tragedy as showing people to be greater than they are. In the classic definition of Comedy plots the characters are thrown into a state of confusion, darkness and bewilderment where resolution can only come when these constricting factors have been played out to their extremes.
Comedy examples are All’s Well That Ends Well, When Harry Met Sally, Some Like It Hot.
* Tragedy
In Aristotelian tragedy the central character is an individual (usually of great status) who goes through a series of actions and decisions that unwittingly brings about their own downfall. This downfall is supposed to provoke feelings of pity and fear in the audience and end in a catharsis or what is sometimes called a “purging” of emotion.
Examples of Tragedy are Hamlet. Carlito’s Way, Macbeth, Oedipus the King.
* Overcoming the Monster
In Overcoming the Monster stories the hero/heroes must overcome a dark evil creature/person/entity that has exerted an evil destructive force over a place, persons or people.
Examples of this plot are The Silence of the Lambs, Dracula, Jaws, Hansel and Gretel.
* Rags to Riches
In Rags to Riches plots the central character is seemingly plucked from nothing to greatness where he/she is very often rich and of immense status. In this story type the hero very often gets quick success which is swiftly taken away from him/her. In order for him/her to return to this “rich” state the protagonist must very often defeat a foe of some kind.
Examples of this story type are Aladdin, Cinderella, Great Expectations.
Main Source: Suite101.com - http://writingforstagescreen.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_seven_basic_plots
Backup Source:
Topic: Storytelling/Writing
There are apparently only seven basic plot archetypes, it is from these that almost every story ever written is derived. Any story you read or watch at the cinema will a combination of one or more of these. The descriptions are taken from the fantastic suite101 website.
* The Quest
The Quest story model revolves around a central protagonist striving to meet an all important and often far off goal. The hero cannot rest until this task has been completed. Along this journey the hero will be met with obstacles and forces trying to stop him from achieving his goal.
Examples of the this story model are The Lord of the Rings, Apocalypse Now, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
* Voyage and Return
Much like the Quest, the Voyage and Return story type is based around a journey. In this plot type the hero is transported to another world and then back again. On this journey the protagonist learns things that give him a deeper understanding of himself and the world around him.
Examples of Voyage and Return stories are Alice in Wonderland, Gulliver's Travels, Back to the Future, the Wizard of Oz.
* Rebirth
In the rebirth story type the protagonist is often cast under some dark spell either instigated by himself or an outside force. The heroes liberation can only be achieved through the actions of other good forces. In these story types the redemptive power of love can be a liberating force. What is striking about the Rebirth story type is that the protagonists imprisonment is derived from something from within his own psyche.
Examples of the Rebirth story type are A Christmas Carol, Beauty and the Beast.
* Comedy
Defining the Comedy story archetype is problematic as in modern times the term has come to mean simply anything that is funny. Therefore stories constructed from the other basic plot types have been mistakenly termed comedies.
Aristotle described comedy as showing people to be worse than they are and tragedy as showing people to be greater than they are. In the classic definition of Comedy plots the characters are thrown into a state of confusion, darkness and bewilderment where resolution can only come when these constricting factors have been played out to their extremes.
Comedy examples are All’s Well That Ends Well, When Harry Met Sally, Some Like It Hot.
* Tragedy
In Aristotelian tragedy the central character is an individual (usually of great status) who goes through a series of actions and decisions that unwittingly brings about their own downfall. This downfall is supposed to provoke feelings of pity and fear in the audience and end in a catharsis or what is sometimes called a “purging” of emotion.
Examples of Tragedy are Hamlet. Carlito’s Way, Macbeth, Oedipus the King.
* Overcoming the Monster
In Overcoming the Monster stories the hero/heroes must overcome a dark evil creature/person/entity that has exerted an evil destructive force over a place, persons or people.
Examples of this plot are The Silence of the Lambs, Dracula, Jaws, Hansel and Gretel.
* Rags to Riches
In Rags to Riches plots the central character is seemingly plucked from nothing to greatness where he/she is very often rich and of immense status. In this story type the hero very often gets quick success which is swiftly taken away from him/her. In order for him/her to return to this “rich” state the protagonist must very often defeat a foe of some kind.
Examples of this story type are Aladdin, Cinderella, Great Expectations.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
What My Digit Span Is...
How I Heard About This: Having spent almost a decade tutoring children of various ages, I'd often heard of the digit span. I understood the basics but decided to research it further and see what my digit span is now.
Main Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digit_span
Backup Source: http://www.fullpotentials.com/wst_page4.html
Topic: Memory/Learning
Details: The memory span is the number of items that a person can retain and recall over a brief period of time. It is called the Digit Span when numbers are used. People who can retain and quickly recall higher numbers of items often do better in Psychometric tests. Why is it interesting to me? Being dyslexic I was subjected to a large number tests as a child, and as was to be expected, I performed far better verbally than I did whilst writing things down. Although I had a slight photographic memory I would often have to look at the black board for almost every letter of a word I was trying to spell out. This became very time consuming. Looking back now I can guess that my digit span (when relating to letters) must have been no higher than 2 but likely to be as low as 1.
After years of extra lessons I was able to speed up this process but by the time I left school I doubt it was any larger than 6. For me it wasn't until university and my work as a music producer after that I started to really push my brain. Today I wondered what my digit span was and took the test linked below. Having done it a couple of times the highest I can get to is 15 digits. Certainly a lot better than when I was younger. Apparently practicing this can increase your digit span, and thus increase your likelihood to do well in Psychometric testing.
Have a go yourself: take a digit span test now.
Main Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digit_span
Backup Source: http://www.fullpotentials.com/wst_page4.html
Topic: Memory/Learning
Details: The memory span is the number of items that a person can retain and recall over a brief period of time. It is called the Digit Span when numbers are used. People who can retain and quickly recall higher numbers of items often do better in Psychometric tests. Why is it interesting to me? Being dyslexic I was subjected to a large number tests as a child, and as was to be expected, I performed far better verbally than I did whilst writing things down. Although I had a slight photographic memory I would often have to look at the black board for almost every letter of a word I was trying to spell out. This became very time consuming. Looking back now I can guess that my digit span (when relating to letters) must have been no higher than 2 but likely to be as low as 1.
After years of extra lessons I was able to speed up this process but by the time I left school I doubt it was any larger than 6. For me it wasn't until university and my work as a music producer after that I started to really push my brain. Today I wondered what my digit span was and took the test linked below. Having done it a couple of times the highest I can get to is 15 digits. Certainly a lot better than when I was younger. Apparently practicing this can increase your digit span, and thus increase your likelihood to do well in Psychometric testing.
Have a go yourself: take a digit span test now.
Friday, 1 January 2010
Aristotle's Six Elements of Drama...
How I Heard About This: As I've started to write a script I started looking through my old film degree notes and found this. I don't know if remembering something counts as learning a new thing but it was very new to me reading it today.
Main Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_video
Backup Source: http://www.insightshare.org/training_book.html
Topic: Story Structure/Writing
Detail: Aristotle's Poetics theories have influenced almost every great play-write of the last two thousand years.
The six elements of Drama are:
* The Characters: It is important to make sure your characters are watchable as your story will be told through their trials and tribulations. Whether they are a Mother Theresa or Adolf Hitler they must be compelling else they should be re-written or scrapped.
* Plot (Action): This is what actually goes on in your story and in what order it all happens. Classic three act structure consists of you plucking your hero out of his ordinary life, treating him pretty badly and then putting him back down again. It is important to keep things moving and always interesting. Some writers think that you should have a surprise on every page.
* Ideas: A good story always means something. What does your story mean and what is it's central theme? This central theme should be weaved into every part of your story.
* Dialogue: The dialogue (or lyric poetry) is very important. If your characters talk, then they need something to say, and a way to say it. They should have some form of accent, even if it's RP, and how they say things will tell the audience a lot about who they are and where they come from.
* Music: Music is an incredibly powerful tool. From the earliest operas, ballets and plays through to modern cinema: music can easily create tension and affect the emotions of the audience. It should be used carefully but if done well will add an amazing amount to your story/play/film.
* Spectacle: This is everything that is included in the visual and audio production. The explosions, the magic, the sounds, the costumes and set are all part of the spectacle and people's enjoyment can be increased by careful use (or even lack) of spectacle.
According to Aristotle, great Drama is formed by understanding these six elements, and by combining them carefully.
Main Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_video
Backup Source: http://www.insightshare.org/training_book.html
Topic: Story Structure/Writing
Detail: Aristotle's Poetics theories have influenced almost every great play-write of the last two thousand years.
The six elements of Drama are:
* The Characters: It is important to make sure your characters are watchable as your story will be told through their trials and tribulations. Whether they are a Mother Theresa or Adolf Hitler they must be compelling else they should be re-written or scrapped.
* Plot (Action): This is what actually goes on in your story and in what order it all happens. Classic three act structure consists of you plucking your hero out of his ordinary life, treating him pretty badly and then putting him back down again. It is important to keep things moving and always interesting. Some writers think that you should have a surprise on every page.
* Ideas: A good story always means something. What does your story mean and what is it's central theme? This central theme should be weaved into every part of your story.
* Dialogue: The dialogue (or lyric poetry) is very important. If your characters talk, then they need something to say, and a way to say it. They should have some form of accent, even if it's RP, and how they say things will tell the audience a lot about who they are and where they come from.
* Music: Music is an incredibly powerful tool. From the earliest operas, ballets and plays through to modern cinema: music can easily create tension and affect the emotions of the audience. It should be used carefully but if done well will add an amazing amount to your story/play/film.
* Spectacle: This is everything that is included in the visual and audio production. The explosions, the magic, the sounds, the costumes and set are all part of the spectacle and people's enjoyment can be increased by careful use (or even lack) of spectacle.
According to Aristotle, great Drama is formed by understanding these six elements, and by combining them carefully.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
3 Reasons Money Doesn't Make Us Happy...
How I Heard About This: After a discussion with some friends about life goals, I started to think about whether more money was really going to make me any happier...
Main Source: http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/04/3-reasons-money-brings-satisfaction-but.php
Backup Source: http://www.webmd.com/news/20060630/study-money-wont-make-you-happy
Topic: People/Psychology
Details:
"Money doesn’t change you; it reveals who you are when you no longer have to be nice." -Tim Ferriss
PsyBlog talks about the relation between money and happiness:
1. It’s relative income that’s important.
As I’ve noted previously, money is relative. It turns out we don’t mind so much about our actual level of income, so long as we’re earning more than other people around us. Unfortunately as we earn more money we’re likely to be surrounded by richer people so we often end up failing to take advantage of the positive comparison.
2. Material goods don’t make us happy.
Acquiring things like houses and cars only have a transient effect on happiness. People’s desires for material possessions crank up at the same, or greater rate, than their salaries. Again, this means that despite considerably more luxurious possessions, people end up no happier. There’s even evidence that materialism make us less happy.
3. People don’t shift to enjoyable activities when they are rich.
People who earn more money don’t spend their time enjoying themselves, they spend their time at work, in activities likely to cause them more stress and tension. This may be because of ‘the focusing illusion’. When people think about earning more money they probably imagine they would use the money on recreational activities. In fact, to earn the money, they have to spend more time at work, and commuting to and from work.
WebMD says the following: "Psychological studies show that the wealthier people are, the more intense negative emotions they experience. These studies do not link wealth with greater experienced happiness."
Main Source: http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/04/3-reasons-money-brings-satisfaction-but.php
Backup Source: http://www.webmd.com/news/20060630/study-money-wont-make-you-happy
Topic: People/Psychology
Details:
"Money doesn’t change you; it reveals who you are when you no longer have to be nice." -Tim FerrissPsyBlog talks about the relation between money and happiness:
1. It’s relative income that’s important.
As I’ve noted previously, money is relative. It turns out we don’t mind so much about our actual level of income, so long as we’re earning more than other people around us. Unfortunately as we earn more money we’re likely to be surrounded by richer people so we often end up failing to take advantage of the positive comparison.
2. Material goods don’t make us happy.
Acquiring things like houses and cars only have a transient effect on happiness. People’s desires for material possessions crank up at the same, or greater rate, than their salaries. Again, this means that despite considerably more luxurious possessions, people end up no happier. There’s even evidence that materialism make us less happy.
3. People don’t shift to enjoyable activities when they are rich.
People who earn more money don’t spend their time enjoying themselves, they spend their time at work, in activities likely to cause them more stress and tension. This may be because of ‘the focusing illusion’. When people think about earning more money they probably imagine they would use the money on recreational activities. In fact, to earn the money, they have to spend more time at work, and commuting to and from work.
WebMD says the following: "Psychological studies show that the wealthier people are, the more intense negative emotions they experience. These studies do not link wealth with greater experienced happiness."
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