Money Can Buy The Pursuit Of Happiness

How often do you wake up worrying about money? How often do your loved ones worry about money? How often have you heard, “if only I had the money?” How often do you feel that more money would solve all your problems and would make you happy? What if I told you that you were right, to an extent. Author’s across the discussion of happiness have tried to answer the simply stated, yet complicatedly answered question, “Can Money Buy Happiness?” Authors Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diner attempt to answer the question in their piece of the same name, by explaining that “Yes, money buys happiness…but it must be considered in the bigger picture of what makes people genuinely rich” (Biswas-Diener 160-161). This idea that fiscal wealth is a path to happiness

Happiness is an emotion that can be very easily obtained however it can be very hard to get that intense of joy sometimes. The emotional state of being content is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Although there is always that clique question, “Does money create happiness?” To answer that no it does not and there is various ways to prove it. Money is just a piece of paper that controls most of your life ,but happiness is not one of them.

Happiness is known to be a state of mind that causes immense joy or pleasure. Happiness is known as satisfaction, joy, pleasure, or even delight. Happiness is not money. The world has the current conviction that money can buy happiness. Digging up America’s deepest roots, money has always been “the root” of happiness. Even the American dream has a base foundation that money is the key to everything. American authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Lorraine Hansberry wrote of characters that have the false mind set of happiness. Because characters in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun wrongly believe that money equates to happiness, the belief that money can create happiness is still prevalent in today's society.

“Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has, the more one wants,” quoted by Benjamin Franklin. Money can’t buy happiness because materials are short lived, human connection is more important, and wealth undermines people’s ability to savor positive events from the sheer abundance. Money will accumulate but it is easy to chase more and more until you realize you’re not actually living. Happiness that is based off of product is fugitive.

If you were to ask the average person if they believed whether or not money can buy one’s happiness, many would likely say no; but if you were to take a closer look at how they choose to spend their money, their purchases would say otherwise. Their purchases would likely say that money can instead buy you many things that make you happy, or at least temporarily. Our society condones the American dream to follow one’s desires because anyone who obtains any level of power, pleasure, and wealth is likely to also achieve a satisfying and successful life. “In a capitalist economy and a culture of consumerism and materialism, are we not bombarded with messages promising happiness through wealth and possessions? Aren’t we every day indoctrinated by advertisements promising bliss through the clothes we wear, the cell phones we buy, and even the beer we drink?”

Most time when money does not bring happiness, it is due to how the person is using it. In a Ted Talk by Michael Norton, he talks about how when used correctly money can buy happiness. In his Ted Talk he made the claim that if money doesn’t bring you happiness, then you’re using it wrong (Norton). Often, people who do not find happiness from money are spending it in an antisocial manner, as Norton explained. It has been found that when money is spent “prosocially” those spending the money tend to be much happier than those that spend on themselves. We see this type of behavior from those who are constantly “keeping up with the Joneses”. In an article relating to this topic it says that “Some people may not be able to ‘keep up with the Joneses’

Money cannot buy happiness. Think about when someone buys something that they have wanted forever. They are not buying happiness, they are just buying something that can bring happiness. Another example, is if someone buys their friend a gift that has wanted they only bought a gift, not happiness. It brought them personal happiness. Not the person bought happiness.

A question often asked is whether money can buy happiness or not, it is a “common assumption that money is critical for pursuit of the American Dream and individuals’ inalienable right to be happy” (Mogilner 1348). However, that is not often the case. Working longer hours often leads to a bigger paycheck which one might associate with happiness but, Mogilner found that “people are most happy when socializing and during intimate relations and least happy when working and commuting” (1348). In her study,

Money can buy happiness, with the reasons listed above, my statements is supported. Money can be helpful in many ways, not only to go on expensive shopping trips and blow your money on stupid stuff that is only important in that moment. Thinking about the big picture is important. Especially when helping out is so easy, with or without money. Happiness is a chain reaction, money helps. Money can bring happiness to anyone, use it the right way, it will be effective and

Happiness is a hard word to define. Many people have different opinions of what happiness is to them, and what brings that happiness. One of the many debates is, can money buy happiness? Money can buy happiness, because money creates memorable experiences and opportunities, helps with your well-being, and there is a great connection between money and happiness.

The beautiful smile. The joyous laugh. The smiling eyes. The high pitched voice. All describe the characteristics of one being happy. Benjamin Franklin once stated “money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.”. In turn that quote has been a center of debates for centuries. Conversing over the debatable topic in which happiness does or does not extend from money. In a society such as the twentieth century, happiness is evidently reflected by wealth. Therefore, happiness is influenced by the amount of wealth that corresponds to the way one uses their money.

In this paper, the relationship between happiness and money was examined. Does money buy happiness? Three studies were examined in depth to provide an answer to this question. This paper found that people believed that they would be happier if they were richer. It was also found that people gaining less than $ 75,000 per year experienced lower life happiness. Studies showed that an increase in income is only good for increasing the individual’s happiness for a short period of time.

We all have heard the cliche saying “money cannot buy happiness”, but in reality income has a positive relationship with happiness. In all, money is only paper and fabric, and it is what a person does with the paper like fabric that enables them to feel more happiness in life. Many are quickly to answer money cannot buy happiness without thinking about their life due to the fear of being judged for selfishness. When one considers factors of their life before answering, many discover the answer to be yes. Therefore money can help a person gain sense of contentment and happiness through one's emotional health, mental health, and physical health.

There has long been debate concerning the consequences of money on happiness. Some are born into wealth, some work hard to achieve it, and some will never attain it. With rapidly increasing competition to achieve admittance into college, graduate school, and the workforce, it is crucial that adults begin to prioritize the different aspects of their life. With working an impressive job comes financial security, but often at the expense of exhausted time, energy, and appreciation for life. Those who hold simple, mediocre jobs will not have to pay the same prices, but they are certain to be affect by economic instability; it seems as though there is no way to achieve both sides. Even with only a small budget of funds, how one spends money can temporarily shift happiness. Rejecting the appeal of desired money and rather focusing the benefits that come with spending on others are highly correlated people who exhibit contentment. Despite those who swear by the notion that money buys happiness, an obsession for wealth may actually produce opposite effects.

Many people say that money cant buy you happiness, well I don’t find that to be true. Having a large amount of money has become a dream in many peoples lives. Although money can buy you thing you want to make you happy, happiness is only bought by the people you surround your self with. Many people are convinced that money can buy a person happiness, however most happiness comes from families and friends. Money can buy you happiness because, money can buy you security, stress free, healthcare, and spend it with others.