Discussion of The Question "Can Money Buy Happiness"

Introduction

In life, the goal of all of us is to be happy, not to be rich. Since we are children, media convince us that wealth leads to happiness and so convince us that the real goal is to make money to be happy. It's important to remember the sentence that our parents repeatedly told us: money doesn't make you happy. Certainly, money can help you in many things and give you financial freedom, but I think that it is not a real freedom. You can have happiness right now regardless of your finances or what's going on in your life. Anyway, it's interesting to analyze the correlation between happiness and wealth and explore how money affects people and their happiness.

Discussion of The Question "Can Money Buy Happiness?"

The big question is, “Can money buy happiness?” There’s no simple answer. Some studies prove that rich people are happier than their poor counterparts, but on the contrary, the money's impact on the happiness of the rich is not as large as that on the happiness of the poor. In other words, for a poor family, that has, for example, an annual income of 20,000€, an extra 5,000€ a year can make a huge difference in their happiness. Instead, for a wealthy family, that has an annual income of 70,000€, 5,000€ can be a good bonus but doesn't make a great difference. If you have clothes to wear, food to eat, and a roof over your head, increased disposable income has just a small influence on your sense of well-being. So, in a way, money can buy some happiness, but it is only a piece of the puzzle. Although it may seem trivial, the key is finding a balance between having too little and having too much.

Our society teaches us, by means of media, that bigger is better and to want the things you see on TV, like clothes, devices, cars, etc. So, people who can afford it tend to buy more than they need. However, studies show that materialistic people are less happy than those who aren't, and so, to be content, we should own and buy less stuff (Dunn, Gilbert, & Wilson, 2011). In fact, it has been tested that the relationship between spending and happiness is not directly proportional. This means that every time you spend, you are a bit less happy. I'm not saying that you can't spend your money, but you have to do so carefully. More spending may have a positive effect on you, leading you to more fulfillment, but spending too much can actually have a negative impact on your quality of life. You have to understand when it's “enough.”

A thing that everyone should do is to choose happiness as the priority for the day. Most people seek happiness as a product of their achievements, actions, and other things they do during the day. This makes their happiness dependent on what happens during their day. Instead, what we should do is make happiness an independent choice. Our happiness does not require favorable events, interactions, or any particular stimulus. We tend to think that if we suffer today, working hard and being stressed, we'll be better tomorrow because we'll have greater success and income. Maybe this is true, but, especially in our job, we should work without stress but with creativity and joy, whereas a lot of people, when they go out in the morning to go to work, think only about their radiant future, without focusing on the present. In fact, asking yourself questions about your future may instigate in you anxiety, stress, and fear. In addition, studies suggest that happiness is often found in relationships and experiences rather than material possessions (Kahneman & Deaton, 2010).

Conclusion

In conclusion, a balanced life is a fulfilling life. To find balance, you have to figure out how much is “enough” for you, the point where you’re content with what you have and can say “this much, but no more.” In this way, you don't buy unnecessary stuff and you save money to use it for things that truly matter. However, it is important to remember that to be happy, we have to think about the present, put effort into enjoying what we do, and give the right weight to things. Therefore, the pursuit of happiness should not be overshadowed by the pursuit of wealth.

References

• Dunn, E. W., Gilbert, D. T., & Wilson, T. D. (2011). If money doesn't make you happy, then you probably aren't spending it right. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 21(2), 115-125.
• Kahneman, D., & Deaton, A. (2010). High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(38), 16489-16493.