Would you go back to work if you won the lottery?
March 27, 2008Posted by mmarvs in : Debates, General
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Despite winning more than £1m on the lottery Luke Pittard decided to go back to work at McDonalds because he missed his mates and had too much time to idle around. ‘To be honest, there’s only so much relaxing you can do’, he said. ‘I’m only young and a bit of hard work never did anyone any harm’.
Read the article here and write a comment with your reaction to his decision.
Is he a fool or a sensible man?
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“Money can’t buy happiness” is a popular phrase and this couple is the best example of that. They have won the lottery, they are now rich and they can support buying a new house and having a new more comfortable life, but what about the other means to reach happiness? The man knows that he can’t live without friends and that’s the point in my opinion: what makes you happy is to be close to your friends and family, and share your happiness with them, because money helps to be happy but there is nothing that can substitute your family and your close friends. They are the main font of happiness.
Another important point is that this “new rich” is working again. I think that if I were rich, I would open a business and perhaps I would work as well. So, I completely agree with him and his idea of going on working as he is surrounded by his friends.
Actually, I´ve answered the question “what would you do if you´ll win the lottery” saying that I would do the same.
I think it´s a good idea to go on with your life, a common life, sharing experiences, bad and happy moments, worries…with others like you.
Maybe if you have a different life you would get a lonely person and you would lose the contact with world.
Anyway if this boy has come back to work maybe he has a reason: he has already probed the other option.
If I were him I’d never come back for a McDonals’ job. I can’t understand that he likes it, because it seems to me a hard and badly-paid job. I can’t understand him, because with that money you can buy a franchise of McDonals or something like that, in order to make more money, and if you really like it, you still could work there. Tha’s why I think he’s a fool, not because he come back to work. About the workmates, I think that you can keep in contact with them, even if you don’t work in the same place.
He is crazy! If I won the lottery, I’m sure I would leave up studying in order to spent my time relaxing, travelling, and of course with my friends. I would invite them to travel with me, to diner… and they would be much better than working with me all days!
However, I can understand him: he got bored of doing nothing and working with the security that you don’t need the money is very different, you know you can leave up the work when you want! And that freedom is the happiness for me.
The most important thing in life is happiness so you should do always do what you like.
In my opinion, having lots of money is not enough to be happy and the idea of happiness is completely different among different people. Anyway Luke’s story is surprising because working in MacDonald’s is not the job most of us would choose if we were millionaires but obviously this is not the case of Luke. I believe that Luke has prefered being close to his friends and has been afraid to begin a completely different way of life.
I’m not sure what would I do if I won such a big amount of money, but I’m sure that working in MacDonalds wouldn’t be my choice.
Well, probably more than one will say : ‘If I win the lottery I would stop working and I would do nothing’. But maybe reality is not like that. I agree with one of the previous comments, money can’t buy happiness. But anyway… you can look for a better job and still keep in touch with your former workmates at McDonalds, can’t you?
Amazing! I can’t hardly believe that someone really enjoy working at McDonalds, I mean, it doesn’t sound like the “ideal job”…
Doing absolutely nothing can be boring, so I understand his point of view, but not his option. If the real reason is just missing your workmates, meet them for a drink after work! It’s quite simple, isn’t it? And if you only want to keep busy, what about doing some “voluntary work” for an NGO?
If I were as lucky as him, what would I do? First of all, I’ll try to set up my own business (an Art Gallery, perhaps) and create employment… or starting a new degree (without the pressure of finding a job after it). Of course “money can’t buy happiness”, but, as far as I know, hamburgers and chips are not the answer!
I think he is crazy!If I were he I´d travel all around the world,I´d buy houses in other countries,especially in Greece which is an amazing country which has got beautiful islands and culture too so I´d could spend days,weeks,months or years there!Also I´d invest some money in to have profits and as a result I´d have more money,I know this sound too material and selfish but I´d spend money on my family and friends too.
On the other hand I understand his decision.He did it maybe because he was bored,alone…who knows.When we are studying or working we want money to give it up and when we have it we return to work!We are so complicated…
I really like the article because I’m one of these who believe that money doesn’t give happiness, but however, I think that it helps.
I can perfectly understand what Luke has made. From my point of view when you win such a huge amount of money, you only think on buying a big house and a nice car, taking long holidays…and that’s fantastic!! But what happens when all of those finish and you have to return to the reality? Definitely you will get bored of doing nothing and if in addition you like your job and your mates are your friends, you will surely miss the life you had before you win the lottery.
Obviously if you have money it is easier to be happy because you don’t have to take care of these economic problems that we are used to, but after all, you have to do something to feel yourself useful and to enjoy your life doing it.
I can’t understand how a young person can spend months and years of her/his life doing nothing!!
Becoming a wealthy man but still keeping your feet on the ground is flabbergasting…
I had already heard about this weird story. In the beginning, I thought he was completely mad but if you come to think of it you’ll realize he’s being very sensible.
I suppose everyone has often imagined his life without working. “What would you do if you won the lottery?” has been the title of loads of my writing exercises. Emptying your mind and imaging a new life where money and wages don’t exist is great. It makes you chill out as all your dreams become true.
Nevertheless, being an active person and taking part in society is essential. Things like studying, having a boss or saving money can be very annoying, but the fact is that they are also necessary. When I have to work really hard and do my best I feel exhausted because of the huge strength but, to be honest, I feel so satisfied and proud of myself when I achieve what I want, that all the effort is worth-doing.
Money is one of the most important things is life, however it is not the most important issue. I know it sounds naïf, but having good health, nice friends and a lovely family are better than living surrounded by money. In my view, enough money is essential but too much can be dangerous…
If I was the McDonald’s employee, I’d probably do exactly the same. I mean, I may be quite hyperactive but I’m so used to doing a lot of different things during the whole day that nowadays I feel I need working. Even during the weekend or when I’m on holiday, I always find something to do. Obviously, I also need relaxing but if you do love what you do you find it hard to unwind and if you can control yourself, it’s not bad at all.
Having a job where you feel comfortable and useful is very important. I strongly believe that everyone has a talent and we all have to work hard in order to develop our special skills. Finding your place means fighting for the things you love. This man loved his work in McDonald’s so…why should he give up?
They say money can’t buy happiness but helps a lot. Well, in this case , we can obviously see that help is not the same as get or make. I mean, although money can be a good support to get happiness, it doesn’t reach it by itself alone. The first part of the story is the most common: he suddenly gets rich from day to night and affords a big house, a special wedding and an enticing trip to the Canary Islands with his wife. But it’s the second part what makes this story special.
It seems that being on a continuous holiday is not that relaxing or amusing. This couple can buy everything they want. But it’s life better being so rich? I suppose it’s a big deal to become so wealthy without wondering it. However, they wouldn’t have won a single pound if they had not take part and play in the National Lottery. So they were happy with their jobs but wanted more, and when their dream becomes true, they consider that this is a bit boring. Come on… You can’t say that. I understand that there is a tiny possibility to win that prize and that even if you play, you are not waiting every week to win the big money .But, according to the piece of news, once you get it , it’s amazing at first. Then it becomes less interesting to live without worries in your head. If I were him, I don’t know if I would do the same. Surely, if you are not use to be rich, you are not sure what to do with so much money, and it can be a difficult situation.
To sum up, in my opinion he has taken a clever decision, also because now he’s calm and happy with himself. Being lucky, rich and quiet must be a really relaxing feeling
After reading more or less all the opinions of my classmates, I must say that if I were rich I never leave my job although it could be to work in a Mc Donald’s, it is as worthy as other jobs.
I don’t know what I could do with that big amount of money but there is only one thing that I know with security: I will never change my way of life. You can’t lose your head with money, it can destroy your life if you don’t know how to use it in a properly way. I admit that if I have it, I spend some of it travelling, studying, learning languages and I would build my ideal house but my family and friends would be the same and I would continue working. You can’t live only surrounded by money. You need to be an active part of the society and work to know that you are achieving what you want. Getting your objectives on your own makes you feel satisfied and shows you that not all in life can be bought by money.
On the other hand, I think that this situation has shown us that only money can’t give us the happiness. At first he made real all his dreams: a big house, expensive cars, luxurious holidays and of course, he got married with his girlfriend in a wedding with all kind of eccentrities but had it been really what he has always wanted?? I don’t think so, after having an unstressed life he realized that without working he didn’t feel happy, he needed to use his time doing something useful. In my opinion he must think about doing investments with his money. A useful idea is to create a NGO to help people with big mortgages that nowadays have lots of problems to finish each month. You know, if he feels better combining his wealth with his job, he will get the real happiness.
Well, what I can say about this “strange” case is that money sometimes buys happiness and sometimes not. For me this guy isn’t stupid, he’s just that kind of lucky people that don’t depend on money to reach happiness. They have better ways to be happy, such as family, friends, love…
This man is an example we all should follow. Not just because of his independence from money but because he continues working ( and his work isn’t the best) although being a millionaire. Can you tell me how many people continue working after winning more than a million pounds?
Of course, there’s a part of my mind that says to me:” he’s silly,he’silly…” .I also agree with it ( I suppose now you’re thinking that I’m contradicting myself. You’re right,haha.) ,I mean, when you win so much money that it will be enough for your entire life you are supposed to relax and live your life in a different way, forgetting about work. There’s always an exception, like this boy, isn’t it?
From my point of view, Luke’s decision it is very respectable. He missed his mates, doing some activity, and having a time schedule in his life… so he came back to work.
(But it is true that it is surprisingly he liked working at Mc Donald’s).
This is the point where I understand him. If I won such amount of money, apart from fulfilling my materialistic desires (paying the mortgage, buying the things that I like to me and my family, etc…), I would take some part of my life, for instance one or two years, travelling all around the world, knowing another cultures and ways of life. Nevertheless, there would be one time when I would need something to do, in order to occupy my mind and feeling myself useful. In fact, I’d never come back to work, at least to my current one. Although I feel highly good at it (at the level of mates and the activity I develop), it is not very comfortable to work neither on weekends nor in shifts… However I’d look for many activities and hobbies that I like but I can’t do because I don’t have enough time: painting, doing classical ballet, dancing… Also, I would take part in some kind of voluntary service for children. I can’t imagine myself doing absolutely anything, feeling myself useless.
He is a man who keeps his feet on the ground. Money can improve your life, but it can not change the way you think. If he really enjoys his job, I can understand that he does not give up it, though he need not the money. Nowadays, it is difficult to get a job which you really like, so many people do not share his decision.
I think money can buy things that make you happy, but it is not everything. Obviously, this man will live without worries because the financial security relieves stress and brings confidence.
To be honest, if I were him, I would not go back to such bad-paid job. I would try to enjoy my life with my family and my friends, travelling or something like that. Anyway, this new rich has decided to go on a normal life instead of becoming in a flashy person. Good for him!
It´s an amazing story! It´s difficult to belive that somebody would return to work at McDonald´s after that. Although, I think that it´s very sensible.
In my case, I´m not sure about what I would do in this situation. Maybe and like everybody, I would buy a nice house, a good car, I would travel round the world, I would share the price with my family and I would save an amount of the money, of course. Nobody knows.
Apart from that, perhaps I would stop to work one year. I understand his decision. I imagine that after a few months you don´t know what to do. A life without working it´s too much spare time for me. In my opinion, humans need to work (I´m aware that this sounds strange), in other way we could feel bored and useless, too. Earning money it´s not the only reason for working (maybe, it´s the main but not the only one) , I mean, job satisfaction is one of the most important issues in life. So, if Luke feels good at MsDonald´s , he took the best decision.
This man knows what is important in life. Family, friends, love in general are the foundations of the happiness. The clue is that he was rich out of the blue, before that he had already found all he need it. Money not means nothing for him, it´s only a extra-help, to make his life more security, not more happy.
I believe it was different, if he had brought up in a wealthy family. In this case I supposed it was impossible for him to work in Mc.Donalds.
I hope that he transmits his values to his daughter.
What would I do if I won the lottery? The first day I thought about it I remember myself saying I would not work anymore. I would live forever and ever doing absolutely nothing. But then I came to ask my mind: so what are you studying for? Is it only to make money, or may it be because being a doctor is something you really wanted? It was then when I realized that I’ve invested so much time preparing myself to do what I want, that “only” a big amount of money could not disturb me from my objective. Perhaps I would not be working as a “normal doctor” but at least what I ended doing would be something related to the Medicine. Definitely, I would not abandon my dreams just because a big amount of money appeared in my current account.
About the decision of the man winning the lottery what I can say is that he’s idea is great, he wants to keep his normal life. I’ve read in a comment that with so a big amount of money he could have bought the enterprise, but just think about being a chief, ufff too much trouble. What for does he want problems if he is a millionaire??? The only thing he wants, from my point view, is to go on with his life (keep talking with his friends, and be relaxed)…he doesn’t need more money, he has more than what he had probably ever desired, if ever thought about it.
Well, I think this is a striking decision, even more when the amount of money he won seems enough to spend the rest of his life doing nothing.
Nevertheless I must admit that I admire this decision because it means he appreciate other things more than money. As the own winner says ” a bit of hard work never did anyone any harm” and in fact he can leave up working when he wanted.
Sometimes the bad thing is not the fact of having to work itself, but the stress of living from day to day. It has to be much more bearable when you know you have 1 million pounds in your bank account!!
Would I do the same thing? Would I go back to job after winning millions? Although the first thought would be quitting and starting a new luxurious life, I would go back to the job and continue the same way of life, but with a difference: no more financial problems.
The reason is I don’t think it is easy to start a new life far away from home, with new friends you can trust.
So, I admire Luke, the lottery winner, for having the conviction to continue the same job even though any people may think he’s an idiot for not leaving a job that is not considered a good one.
“Money doesn’t give you happiness, but it helps”. I absolutely agree with this statement. If you have enough money, you don’t have to worry about bills and other expenses.
On the other hand too much money can be dangerous, because sometimes it makes people lose the control of their lives.
From my point, this young man realised that plenty of money allows you to do what you want to do, but he felt the necessity to work and to do something useful. He didn’t need more money but he needed his collegues to feel good. For example, I’d prefer to spend my holidays in a campsite with all my friends than in a luxurious hotel totally alone.
I think I would have done the same. If I didn’t have to worry about money, perhaps I would look for a job in a company, where I felt comfortable. But if I felt good in my previos job, why do I give it up?
Would you go back to work if you won the lottery?
Fist of all, I’m not a fortunate person. I should say that I’ve never won anything even a pound but I can imagine what I will do with a big amount of money.
At the beginning, I would spend it traveling around the world, having good fun with my friends and that sort of things. However, my life would be boring in the end because when your feelings decrease and your emotions calm down. Finally, you miss your past life.
Honestly, I wouldn’t quit my job. The main reason is that I can be very wealthy; however, I will need something to keep my busy and keep me from spending all of the money. I would try to work part-time, and file a leave of absence, or if I am sure of my company’s financial status, I would talk to the lawyers regarding making me a silent partner. In the other hand, if I were miserable at my job, I would quit it, and I would go back to school or try for a new job.
In my honest opinion, money isn’t everything. Money is the most obvious measure of one’s status and the measure of jealousy over losing your status, so it’s easy confuse the two, but they are certainly not the same thing at all.
I think that an unexpected prize such as winning the lottery doesn’t bring any buzz at all and doesn’t contribute to overall happiness.
What will be, will be. Life is what you make it.
Actually, his decision has been very strange. I mean , people could undestand go back to work, for your own company, or go back to work in something that really excite you, but in mcDonal´s ?
Partly , I understand him, because a person need to have an occupation, and to do something for the society.
Probably, if i won the lottery, I wouldn´t leave up studying, and I would look for a good, but not in mcDonals.
Well, it’s difficult to win the lottery without spending any money on it, but I’ll try to imagine what I’d do. I’ve read some opinions (Irene, Beatriz Diaz and Beatriz Freije, Juan Carlos…), and from the first moment I agree with those which expressed the idea that money doesn’t buy happiness. And this guy was only searching for happiness when she went back to McDonald’s.
Another thing is if we’d do the same in the same case. Everyone is everyone, and everyone can find happiness in many other different ways.
I wouldn´t go back to my job if I won the lottery. Although I really enjoy working at my current department, after all a job is a job. I´d only go on working if I felt really proud of my job (something creative, some research project etc.).
If I were millionaire I´d travel all over the world. I´ve known places where I´d have liked to live for a period of time, learning their culture, some of their craftworks. But I couldn´t do it because in the end I had to return to my routine. But there are so many places that you can know, so many experiences that you can live, so many things that you can learn.
However, I don´t think that everything will be so wonderful. I think that the worst thing of being rich is that there´re so many things that you can do that you´d have to spend the whole day deciding. And, in my case, this would stress me out a lot. I prefer to dream that I´m reach, and meanwhile, I am satisfied imagining all the things that I can do with so much time and money.