Two weeks ago, I came across two interesting stories about two celebrities who shared their insight about the same issue -- material things and happiness -- which I think might be useful for many who are chasing after them.
The first is the story of DJ Poom or Poomjai Tangsanga, who caused drama with his Instagram post. He shared a photo of himself sitting with hands covering his head beside a big pile of banknotes and three luxury wristwatches. The picture came with a caption that read: "Is it true that money can't buy happiness, bro? The rich often say this."
The 42-year-old deejay, who is also a TV host, actor, YouTuber and business owner, is widely known for owning a Lamborghini, worth 20 million baht, and a string of expensive watches.
He voiced his opinion in a long answer that read: "Money can buy what we want. It can buy convenience and comfort which is key to humans' happiness. But, if you have a broken heart or something bad has happened to your family members, you will know that your Lamborghini and 20 watches at home can't be of any help. They are not valuable in the world of reality at all.
"If possible, you would be willing to immediately exchange them for the sake of people you love or care about if that can make their situation better," he continued. "In conclusion, money isn't a bad thing. This is probably why some wealthy persons say that money can't buy true happiness."
His post got almost 40,000 "likes" but also drew a lot of disapproving comments on social media. Many said that money could buy happiness for the poor, buy food to feed hungry stomachs and that it could buy them a better livelihood and medical treatment for ill family members. They also said that only the rich could say those words but if they had no money, they would know what true suffering was like.
Well, I, myself, am far from being wealthy but I found his perspective rather reasonable. I don't think there's exactly a right or wrong answer to this question and whether money can buy us happiness or not should depend on how we define "happiness".
We can't deny that money can make our lives easier and more comfortable. However, for those looking for other kinds of happiness that can't be achieved through material things, money might no longer be their priority. This is probably why DJ Poom said that it couldn't buy "true happiness".
The definition of happiness for each person can change over time and the fact is that the older we get, the more likely we are to discover that there are other things much more important than material pleasure. Once we realise that, we might look at what we have amassed all our lives with a different view.
This is already the case for Acharn Paothong Thongchua, an avid historian, academic and textile guru, who recently announced on Facebook that he would begin to sell valuable items he has collected during his life.
Acharn is known to have a passion for antique textiles and ancient objects. He started collecting them at a young age and now at 64, he owns more than 30,000 items of ancient fabrics, not to mention countless rare and precious antiques, accessories, silverware, porcelain and more.
But, what made him decide to put his much-loved collection on sale like this? The answer is in his post, which showed a photo of himself sleeping under a big blanket on the floor with several pillows beside him. It came with a message describing how he was coping with back pain that has been troubling him for a while.
"While suffering back pain on a wooden floor, I began to realise that all of my treasures have been weighing on my mind and that they are a burden that demands a lot of care and upkeep," he wrote, adding that, "In times of illness and ageing, they can't make me strong or happy at all."
I don't know how long it will take him to empty his treasure vault but I believe that he will certainly have a liberated mind after and only then will he be able to devote more of his time to something else that he finds truly worthwhile for the rest of his life.
It's normal for people in this world to chase after money and material pleasure. So, I'd like to send my best wishes to every person who is still struggling to make ends meet. However, for those already living a comfortable life, I hope they will look back and ask themselves one more time what kind of happiness do they really want in their life.
Patcharawalai Sanyanusin is a writer for the Life section of the Bangkok Post.