Money vs Happiness Quadrant
The following is adapted from True Wealth Formula by Hans Johnson.
To solve this long-standing paradox and conflict, I want to introduce you to a diagram I call the Money vs Happiness Quadrant.
Nearly all of life comes down to two key areas: money and relationships. The grid presents four types of people relative to the priority they place on money and relationships in their lives.
The horizontal or x-axis represents material growth or money. The vertical or y-axis represents spiritual growth or happiness. The four quadrants are the four positions or life experiences people find themselves in.
On the left of the diagram are the positions of not having enough money or resources; on the right are the positions of a person who is financially well-off.
The top half are the positions that value relationships, love, contentment, spiritual strength, and fulfillment. At the bottom are the positions of being more concerned with ourselves, projects, things, and material possessions.
THE RICH MISERABLE BASTARD (RMB)
The person who occupies the lower right quadrant has money and material goods and often needs to show off his riches and accomplishments. He is what I affectionately call the Rich Miserable Bastard, or an RMB for short. I know that term is offensive to some, but I call it what it is because I’ve lived that life and it sucks.
An RMB lives according to society’s expectations of what it means to be happy and successful. He buys nice cars
and wears expensive clothes, or he’s so focused and stressed out on achieving the next major objective that he never enjoys or finds fulfillment in the present or the success he’s already achieved. Generally, he values status, material possessions, recognition, and achievement more than people and relationships.
A Mirage in the Desert
Often the RMB learns to focus on what he is good at, like driving projects and getting things done, but not on maintaining relationships. In extreme cases, he leaves a path of destruction in his wake, with the people closest to him feeling used and abused. He may have little self-awareness or rationalize his behavior as a survival mechanism or he believes he’s always right.
At the root of the RMB’s drive is fear. He’s never satisfied. Every time he accomplishes a goal believing it will bring him happiness, it slips away like a mirage in the desert, while another distant goal or challenge takes its place. The RMB lives in a lonely prison. He may look like he’s got it all together on the outside, but deep down he’s insecure and miserable.
In some cases, an RMB does value and care deeply about people close to him, but he’s just better at driving projects than managing relationships. Relationships create stress.
So, much to his own eventual detriment and misery, he tends to focus on things he thinks he can control and that give him a feeling of accomplishment. This was my personal struggle for many years. Because of fear, past experiences, and underlying heart issues, I often isolated myself and communicated in a passive-aggressive, unhealthy way, which was destructive to myself and others.
Compared to What?
If you think you can’t possibly be a Rich Miserable Bastard because you’re not “rich,” you might want to think again. By almost any relative standard, if you live in a modern society and have running water and electricity, you are living extravagantly compared to many people today and certainly when compared to living standards over the course of human history. Today, even with the most modest of living circumstances, we literally live like kings and queens!
THE POOR AND NEEDY
In the lower left quadrant is the poor and needy person, the PN, who is the opposite of an RMB. Most of us start out in life that way. We go to school, get a job, and have a lot of debt — credit cards, student loans, etc. — or we jump from one job to another. We’re not making ends meet and often rely on others for some kind of financial support or assistance.
Some healthy, able-bodied people get caught in an entitlement trap and never break out of the PN quadrant. They spend their entire lives feeling someone owes them something and never learn to stand on their own two feet and support themselves. They remain dependent, either on family, friends, or government social-services programs. They never take full responsibility for their lives, preferring to blame others for their lack of progress.
Getting a temporary hand up is one thing. We’ve all had a bad break or fallen on tough times, but we should be doubling down, working twice as hard to get back on our feet and independent again as quickly as possible.
Contrary to what some might believe, physical labor and effort are good for mental health. Being productive builds momentum and strength and compounds in many good ways.
THE SPIRITUAL AND BROKE
The top left quadrant is the person who’s spiritually focused but broke, the SB. You may know people like that. I do. They’re sometimes “salt-of-the-earth” types whose lives are driven by a worthy cause, or they’re committed to an issue that is more important than their personal concerns.
They are outwardly focused and often in the business of helping others via nonprofit or church-related activities. They often struggle financially and survive by “raising support” or getting help from friends and family. SBs are often happy and fulfilled, even if they can’t pay their bills on time.
People who are genuinely called to a purpose of helping others are essential to society. Historically, they played a critical role in supporting widows, orphans, the handicapped, and those who were physically unable to work and earn a living. In many cases though, SBs have entitlement thinking and excuses similar to PNs. At the root of this often lies a belief system of judgment, rationalization, or entitlement about…you guessed it, money. In other cases, they make sacrifices that lead to personal and financial ill health and need to embrace the TWF marketplace mindset and skill development covered in this book.
THE WEALTH BUILDER
On the top right quadrant is a person who has Freedom, Security, and Fulfillment, the FSF or Wealth Builder. It’s the sweet spot or target zone for True Wealth Formula.
Created deep within the spirit and soul of every human being, regardless of nationality, race, culture, or religion, is an innate desire for freedom, security, and fulfillment. No one wants to be oppressed and controlled by someone who dictates what they can do, think, or say, whether it’s another person or an authoritative, overreaching government.
The most essential freedoms are freedom of thought, expression, speech, movement, privacy, and to be secure
in your person and property. Other desirable freedoms include being able to determine your career path, decide whom you associate with, and have the opportunity to improve your financial standing.
It’s important to understand that freedom and rights are not the same. Being free to do what you want does not mean someone owes you anything. Freedom requires being responsible for your actions and not transgressing on another person or their property. It requires a degree of uncertainty and risk, which is often in conflict with security, but in a free society, freedom is the higher priority and must be protected above all else.
We all want security. None of us wants to live in a war-torn country or a neighborhood with drive-by shootings. We all want to walk down the street safely at night and not live in terror of a lone-wolf attack or an oppressive regime. The desire for security, like the desire for freedom, is universal, and financial resources play a big part in having it.
Another important aspect of security is having confidence in who you are. Insecurity about yourself, whether through envy, jealousy, or unhealthy self-esteem, makes us and those around us miserable.
The final F in FSF is for fulfillment. Having a purpose gives meaning to our lives, especially when our purpose
is greater than just satisfying our immediate personal needs and goals. Fulfillment is probably the most important component of happiness. It’s much more than feeling accomplished or being recognized by peers or our social group. It’s something that comes from a deep well of spiritual identity, strength, and contentment, from quality relationships and from contributing to others’ lives, as well as our own personal growth.
For a simpler, more effective approach to money management — and life, you can find True Wealth Formula on Amazon.
Hans Johnson rose from a childhood of poverty to become co-founder and chief executive of a multimillion-dollar business. Raised in Hawaii, Hans started his first business at the age of eight, learning through self-study, innate curiosity, and the desire to transcend his circumstances. By the time he was twenty-three, he was featured in Success magazine for earning a six-digit income as the owner of a home business. Today, he is the developer of the True Wealth Formula system and Wealth Builder app, available in app stores. Hans lives in Texas with his wife, inspirational speaker Dani Johnson.
