[health] the rich and the dead

1] On the Stumbling and Mumbling web site, there was, some time ago, an interesting piece about money versus happiness:

I know bankers who work very hard and earn a lot of money. They know that more wealth will not increase their happiness as much as more leisure would. Nevertheless, they keep working. They prefer money to happiness.

2] Agatha Christie also put these words into the mouth of one of her characters:

"He's got on wonderfully in the world and naturally he wants something to show for it but many's the time I wonder where it will all end. It's like a runaway horse," said Lady Coote. "Got the bit between its teeth and away it goes. He's got on and he's got on and he’s got on until he can't stop getting on. He's one of the richest men in England - but does that satisfy him? No, he still wants more. He wants to be - I don't know what he wants to be! I can tell you, it frightens me sometimes!"

- from “The Seven Dials Mystery”, 1929

3] This is a true story, from 2003. A business client was sitting, sipping on a tea with me, and he ran his hand over the back of his head. He was clearly stressed out and then he proceeded to tell me about his partner who had died two days earlier.

‘Forty-nine and an old man before his time. And I look at myself and wonder whether I’m next.’

He was.