[ivanhoe]

I think the correct definition is: "When you have enough to survive and you make as much money as people you compare yourself with". That's why back in the days of socialism in Eastern Europe most of the people were quite content with being relatively poor, as long as they had the sense of social security and everyone else around them was as poor as them. On the other hand, nowadays many freelancers from poorer countries (me included), who are making a lot of money compared to their compatriots, are still not really happy as they don't make as much as their colleagues on the West. As long as you know you could be doing better you'll not be happy about the present situation... and soc. media is not helping with this...

[nickpp]

Please do not put your propaganda in people's mouths.

I lived back in communist Eastern Europe and I can assure you nobody was content in any way. It was a nightmare.

[ivanhoe]

So did I, but Eastern Europe is a wide term. Living conditions in Yugoslavia were actually quite nice until the 80s. But I'm not saying it was a good system (it wasn't, I'm not fond of communism at all), just that majority of people were content with it for a long time. It's a statistical fact, and not just in Yugoslavia, but you can hear from many people even in Russia or Romania that they used to feel happier and safer than they do now, while their conditions in absolute terms were really bad even from my Yugoslavian perspective. People value safety the most, and than next it seems that they value their social position in the group. If they get the both, they can feel accomplished and that's the primary factor for us to feel good about our lives.

[izacus]

"Nobody"? Pot, meet kettle.

[croon]

Is it possible to reach a point where you won't experience comparison inflation?

After the house it's a bigger house, after the fancy car it's a super fancy car, and then a pilot's license, then co-owning a private plane, then your own one, etc.

When you get enough for the house you move into a new neighborhood where there's always someone richer than you, and when you get enough for that you won't buy his, but a similar one in a fancier neighborhood because you don't want to live with the plebs in the small houses.

This problem can't be solved before we stop measuring ourselves by money. Unfortunately that solution is always paired with being to accomodating on salary negotiations. If I stop caring about money, no one will willingly pay me more, even if I might "deserve it".

I definitely haven't solved it, but my goal is being content with what I have, while not being a doormat, financially. I'm better at the latter than the former.

[sol_remmy]

If you get univeral health care then your light-years ahead of Americans. Even if Americans are getting paid twice as much as you, they have the risk of going bankrupt during old age because of extremely high medical expenses

You have to realize how fortunate you are. Everyone in your country is taken care of. Screw the high salaries of Amercians, they're not worth it