Very good thread, but at the same time there is a lot of research that proves that above a certain minimum standard of living, earning more money has absolutely no effect on ones level of happiness. In fact, above a certain point, the more money one has, the more unhappy they are. Sure, the JW's are wrong to denounce higher education, but at the same time the western world has been deluded into thinking that college degrees and higher salaries will in themselves make you happy and fulfilled. More and more people are wising up to the working myth and the shallow promises of materialism, without having to be JWs or Christians.
So....cleaning pools into your 60s will make you happier? I worked briefly for a brother who cleaned pools. He was self-employed. One day at lunch, he looked faraway and sighed, "I'm getting too old for this." Now, I've heard several people say this in a sort of joking manner, but I was no humorous tone to his voice. He was bone-tired. I had respect for him for being in business for 20 years or so, but I thought, "If making enough money to retire, or at least having a career in a professional environment hadn't been discouraged, he could be enjoying his later years. Instead he must do hard labor in the hot sun to make a living." So I figured, either he loved pool cleaning with all his heart and just couldn't hack it anymore, or his entrepenurial spirit was curtailed by the Borg. I think there is definitely an undercurrent of resentment against dubs who have been able to make a good living and still be in the good graces of the congregation. An older couple in my hall went on a 1.5 month tour of Europe. In talking about it with my dad, he grumbles, "Well, you can certainly tell they're RETIRED," as if to chide them for having a nest egg to spend. It must be hard for some dubs to hear parts on the convention that blast "401ks, pensions, and investments" as snares of Satan, while at the same time they have these investment plans. But you will never hear them talk about how strange it sounds. In the current KM, there was a pro-missionary article. [BARF ALERT] A young brother was praised because he "sought to put Kingdom interests first by entering the full-time ministry rather than pursuing higher education in preperation for a secular career." The pre-'92 thinking is back with a vengeance. So I've rambled a bit but here's the bottom line: being happy is all about your choices...where you live, whom you date or whom you have chosen to marry, what you choose to do with your time, what you choose to do to your body. If you can't make good choices, then you're right, money isn't going to help you one bit. But it's hard to be happy when you're stuck at a low-paying job and you know you could've done better...and you don't have enough to feel secure or pay the bills. Mazlow's hierarchy man...you can't be truly fulfilled if your basic needs aren't met.
