"Miserable" begins with "miser".....

A couple of weeks ago, I was flipping channels (as I often do), and came across Suze Orman's show on CNBC. She's written several best sellers on personal finance. I was watching the "Can I Afford It?" section, where people call in and ask for Suze's advice on major purchases. In all the cases I heard that night, Suze gave a "denied" rating. I probably would have denied many of them too. One woman wanted to borrow money against her 401(k) to buy a few thousand dollars' worth of clothing.

Needless to say, I didn't sense a lot of compassion from Suze that night. I didn't care for the tone and timbre of her voice either. She came across like a heartless harpy. And so I turned the channel.

I also thought back to the times I've seen Donald Trump on TV. This man rarely, if ever, smiles. Is he a happy man? I think not.

It seems to me that the wealthy -- or those that try to make you wealthy -- are hard-nosed, shrewd, and generally unpleasant to be around. Unless they're trying to sell you something. Is it any wonder the word "miserable" begins with the word "miser"? Or is it a coincidence that they appear to have a common root?

It's not "money is the root of all evil". It's "Love of money is the root of all evil". In other words, greed -- one of the Seven Deadly Ones.

I'd rather be broke and happy than rich and unhappy, if I had to choose between the two.