Summary
In this lecture, Benjamin Wallace is talking about whether we will be happier if we spend more expensive products. He starts his lecture with a video clip about the sale of a bottle of 1787 Lafitte. This wine which was known that Thomas Jefferson had owned was sold for 105,000 pounds, and eminent professionals in the wine world had believed that the Jefferson bottles were one of the greatest wines in the world for about 20 years. However, it was revealed that these bottles were fakes. Through the incident that even experts were completely taken in, Wallace decides to investigate why people spend a lot of money to purchase things and whether they live better life than him due to the purchases. Thus, he selects 12 items which are the most expensive, the best, or the most desirable, and he gives us his opinion about them. They are as in the following: 8 oz. Kobe rip eye steak, Pasta with white truffles, Ty Warner Suite, Cor soap, Jomons Jeans, Per Me Olive oil, Five Star golf dubs, Kopi Luwak coffee, Neorest 600 toilet, Vividus bed, Veyron 16.4, and the 1947 Cheval Blanc. As a result, Wallace says that several of them are not worth the price. According to a study by researchers at Stanford and Caltech, many people said that more expensive wine was better when the same wine with different price tags was given. In addition, MRI image of the moment showed that their brain experienced greater satisfaction.
Words: 249
Response
Many people equate the possession of wealth with happiness. I think that the context of this lecture also represents a part of this idea. However, satisfaction which is obtained by possessing expensive products would not last long. Since it is human nature that the more people have the more they want, it would be difficult to maintain our happiness without another purchase if the price of an item decides the price of our happiness. Of course, Wallace just gives us some ideas about relationship between happiness and a purchase of goods rather than forms a definite conclusion in this lecture. However, I feel that the result of a study by Stanford and Caltech research team indicates the thoughts mentioned above. However, a Buddhist monk of Korea who practiced nonpossessive life said that the more things we abandoned the bigger happiness we obtained because an obsession with possession caused our mental suffering. After all, I believe that it makes us happier to engrave his words in our mind and practice it.
Words: 170
http://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_wallace_on_the_price_of_happiness.html
Top 10 Most Expensive Wine in the World - #1 Chateau Lafite 1787
http://www.newluxuryitems.com/most-expensive-wine-chateau-lafite-1787.html
4 comments:
What is happiness? Each person's understanding of happiness is different, we all have requirements of happiness. Happiness is an abstract thing that always come fast and leave fast. Only in the moment, you have your most favorite things, you will feel happy. Or the moment you lose something very precious, you will feel a loss of happiness. Some people see the person they love enjoys happiness, they feel happy. And some people are with their favorite people together, they feel happy. Happiness is a feeling only. If your work and family life are very satisfied, you will feel happy. Some people expect too much of family life and work, it will not be met, they will not feel happy. Some people live a monotonous life, and even the days of sorrow, they think this is happiness. Some people only have a short moment of happiness, but very satisfied. All I need is that whether happiness is permanent or not, once had is enough.
I agree with his idea that there are some deep relationship between consuming money and happiness. In some period, I was stressed out because of some personal reason, and I used to enjoy shopping. Now I think I tried to reduce stress by purchase something since I felt me that I was doing something special for me. The important fact is we cannot keep such a feeling for a long time. I believe feeling satisfaction from purchasing products is a kind of addiction such as alcohol and drug. Even though we can feel it makes us happy at some moments, after couples of day, we feel more frustrated since we can be aware of that such a feeling of satisfaction or happiness cannot remain for a long time. I believe we can feel long- lasting happiness only if when we get something with our commitments. (words=145)
Happiness is something that is very hard to define. It depends on each person. There are many reasons for people to feel happy when they purchase expensive things. First, they feel satisfied with those things as when they afford buy some things with high prices,it may give them a temporary feelings like '' Hey, I'm rich. I can buy it''. Second,buying new stuffs has been an interesting moment for everyone. like a reception carved in our society. Having new stuff means you will get more comfortable in daily lives. Humh. This issue makes me headache. To sum up, happiness is a thing that everyone wants to have in lifetime. To achieve it, people have many ways and consuming money is one of them; although it may affect your pocket. Tks.
You've done a great job on your blog, HyeaJin. Good posts and thoughtful responses. I loved the Ken Robinson lecture - fascinating and very funny.
I also enjoyed the Chopin. It was very comforting to listen to while I took a break.
All the best in your future studies.
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