No, I don't think that money can buy happiness. It does buy the ability to focus on something other than whatever it is that makes you unhappy, though how long that effect lasts is probably directly related to how unhappy you are and why.
As far as the positive causal correlation of money and happiness, well I think it comes down to perspective and priorities.
If happiness to some = having things; then yes, I believe money is paramount.
For others, happiness = enough money to comfortably pay for essentials and for a few non-essential comforts.
Yet, for a few who find happiness in providing for others, money is less essential to attain the much eluded happiness rating.
I am comfortable. I have worked hard to get to where we are, my kids are in need of nothing, and we are lucky enough to have a significant amount left for non-essentials.
Please understand though that that alone does not ensure happiness. For some of us, we rely on others to provide our happiness and are unable to wholly regulate it for ourselves. No amount of money could increase my happiness factor. That grail is in attaining it for myself.
Money buys security. Happiness comes from within. Your choice whether to complain about everything or whether to appreciate things. If you have a negative attitude, that dramatically affects your happiness level. It’s a choice you make.
Very valid point, your viewpoint on your financial situation can make all the difference.
There are plenty of cases for both sides, celebrities both deriving and losing happiness from their wealth. It comes down to the actions they have made with that wealth, and how they view their financial blessing in general. It's a matter of principle on what you do with your money that determines your chance of happiness.
I was happy when I was poor, and I’m happy now when I’m not. What more money buys is more freedom--to do the things I want, some of which cost more--and that only increases my happiness. It’s all correlation, not causation.
I, too, was happy when I was poor….and young with new found independence. It would be incredibly difficult to go back to those days and be happy. We loved camping for vacation. Now I couldn’t bear to rough it and would rather stay in a nice Marriott for trips.
It looks like happiness has been affected by inflation, eh, Bill? I'm thinking I would be happier if our household pulled in $100,000 to $150,000 per year. Getting closer but not there yet.
My thoughts on money and happiness. I think in the long run money provides one with more options and opportunities particularly when it comes to how you want to spend your time or what you worry about (May have less mental load). If you have a little more means you can decide if you want to cook dinner vs take out or hire maid service vs clean your house. As well at least in the US you can afford healthcare especially preventative care for you, your loved ones, or even braces for your kids. Or you can give a little more to a nonprofit you want to help. You have more control over the decisions you make that impact your life.
“Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.”
- Aldous Huxley
I use this quote to make a point as I agree with the old $75K study. Once you hit a certain income money, while still important, is not as much of a concern. You are then able to engage in activities that that can bring about happiness.
After a 40: year a career (and now being retired) I can see the difference through the various income stages I went through. The study correlates well.
I also believe you can reach another level where you begin to question if all the things/responsibilities you acquired are worth the work required to maintain them. We downsized when I retired and own a home with no mortgage. We were also able to decide where we wanted to move which provides a place to enjoy all the activities we love. While I miss many aspects of the larger home I revel in the stress and responsibility free life we now enjoy. That said, I’d hate to have to rely on SS alone!
Great post, Darrell... I really like the quote from Huxley. I agree with your comments and can relate as I'm about to retire and am looking at possible areas to relocate in order to enjoy all the activities that we like (and avoid the cold winter months). What area did you select and why? (If you don't mind me asking!)
We spent 15 years in SE MI (job, not choice, and what I anticipated would only be 3-5 years). Moved there from Ft. Lauderdale so go figure.
We really had our eye on Asheville, NC down to Hendersonville. Ended up in the Greenville, SC area (North Greer) as we could get more house for our money and lower taxes. A minimum requirement was to have a Whole Foods within 45 minutes max.
Hiking and biking are passions. Living on the north side of Greenville is a gateway to Jones Gap State Park and Table Rock, not to mention other mountain areas in SC as well as being just over an hour to Asheville and all the mountains in between. We ride our mountain bikes on all the hilly roads between our house and the mountains.
There are a few other cool features to Greenville besides all the great restaurants. Paris Mountain State Park has tons of hiking and mountain biking trails. Downtown Greenville is great to walk and has an extensive paved path system around the Falls at Reedy Creak. One of those rails-to-t4ails called the Swamp Rabbit Trail goes north through Furman University to Travelers Rest, right past Paris Mountain.
Google Greenville and you will see what I mean. I’m also happy to share what I’ve learned from many moves and ways to look at retirement ahead of time.
Feel free to ask Bill for my contact info and we can commune directly if you’d like. Bill: feel free to share my goods with Chuck.
Regarding the Twitter issue, while the internet brought many tech benefits (such as what were are doing right here) it also led to the death of newspapers, social media/influencers and the AI driven proliferation of illegitimate news.
Good grief Bill, you do have fun with numbers don't you?
The Twitter issue of having an opinion or not caring less: I fall in in latter category.
I always thought the CDC was a reporting agency more than a policy making entity so I question your premise that their "authority" is being undermined. Whatever happened to states rights?
The third letter in CDC represents control, as in disease control.
And while states my have “rights,” those rights must be congruent with the “nation.” That’s why the pledge of allegiance says “one nation”. States cannot run their own air traffic control, passport office and other institution that are better managed at a national level. Anything else would mean we are a bunch of separate countries like the EU. If that is your preference I suggest you move to Europe!
The mission of the CDC from their site:
“As the nation's health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish our mission, CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise.Feb 25, 2022”
Just a comment about words to communicate opposites. What is the opposite of happy? Is it unhappy or not happy? The word choice is more than semantics. I learned this many years ago in my first professional position. I left the company because I was dissatisfied for several reasons. When I announced my resignation, I was surprised how many of my co-workers said they wished they could make an employment change. That was because (my assessment) the company wants people who were “not dissatisfied” rather than satisfied. Relatively easy to have not dissatisfied; much more difficult to have ones who are satisfied. That experience was front and center in my employer assessments throughout the remainder of my career.
Bill, I think a lot of people equate “happiness” and “money” in terms of security. It is not that you can buy MORE with more money. It’s that you can buy SECURITY to know that money is not a challenge.
I don’t believe money necessarily buys happiness but it definitely buys security and stability and removing those as stressors certainly makes achieving happiness easier.
Money cannot buy happiness, but it can buy distractions to keep you from realizing you don't have true happiness. I believe true happiness derives from contentment. If you have enough money to feed, clothe and shelter you and yours, you should be content. Being content with what you have allows you to recognize, appreciate and savor all the good things around you. I think happiness consists of enough material goods to banish the worry that comes with uncertainty so you can find the joys in your life.
No, I don't think that money can buy happiness. It does buy the ability to focus on something other than whatever it is that makes you unhappy, though how long that effect lasts is probably directly related to how unhappy you are and why.
I’m not happy because I make more money I make more money because I choose to be happy !
Bill, I appreciated your fun with bar graphs.
As far as the positive causal correlation of money and happiness, well I think it comes down to perspective and priorities.
If happiness to some = having things; then yes, I believe money is paramount.
For others, happiness = enough money to comfortably pay for essentials and for a few non-essential comforts.
Yet, for a few who find happiness in providing for others, money is less essential to attain the much eluded happiness rating.
I am comfortable. I have worked hard to get to where we are, my kids are in need of nothing, and we are lucky enough to have a significant amount left for non-essentials.
Please understand though that that alone does not ensure happiness. For some of us, we rely on others to provide our happiness and are unable to wholly regulate it for ourselves. No amount of money could increase my happiness factor. That grail is in attaining it for myself.
so true!
Money buys security. Happiness comes from within. Your choice whether to complain about everything or whether to appreciate things. If you have a negative attitude, that dramatically affects your happiness level. It’s a choice you make.
Like Cheryl Crowe said: “It’s not about having what you want, it’s about wanting what you’ve got!” From Soak Up The Sun
Very valid point, your viewpoint on your financial situation can make all the difference.
There are plenty of cases for both sides, celebrities both deriving and losing happiness from their wealth. It comes down to the actions they have made with that wealth, and how they view their financial blessing in general. It's a matter of principle on what you do with your money that determines your chance of happiness.
I was happy when I was poor, and I’m happy now when I’m not. What more money buys is more freedom--to do the things I want, some of which cost more--and that only increases my happiness. It’s all correlation, not causation.
I, too, was happy when I was poor….and young with new found independence. It would be incredibly difficult to go back to those days and be happy. We loved camping for vacation. Now I couldn’t bear to rough it and would rather stay in a nice Marriott for trips.
It looks like happiness has been affected by inflation, eh, Bill? I'm thinking I would be happier if our household pulled in $100,000 to $150,000 per year. Getting closer but not there yet.
I know nada about the Twitter/Tik Tok brouhaha and could care less. Just for the record!
My thoughts on money and happiness. I think in the long run money provides one with more options and opportunities particularly when it comes to how you want to spend your time or what you worry about (May have less mental load). If you have a little more means you can decide if you want to cook dinner vs take out or hire maid service vs clean your house. As well at least in the US you can afford healthcare especially preventative care for you, your loved ones, or even braces for your kids. Or you can give a little more to a nonprofit you want to help. You have more control over the decisions you make that impact your life.
“Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.”
- Aldous Huxley
I use this quote to make a point as I agree with the old $75K study. Once you hit a certain income money, while still important, is not as much of a concern. You are then able to engage in activities that that can bring about happiness.
After a 40: year a career (and now being retired) I can see the difference through the various income stages I went through. The study correlates well.
I also believe you can reach another level where you begin to question if all the things/responsibilities you acquired are worth the work required to maintain them. We downsized when I retired and own a home with no mortgage. We were also able to decide where we wanted to move which provides a place to enjoy all the activities we love. While I miss many aspects of the larger home I revel in the stress and responsibility free life we now enjoy. That said, I’d hate to have to rely on SS alone!
Great post, Darrell... I really like the quote from Huxley. I agree with your comments and can relate as I'm about to retire and am looking at possible areas to relocate in order to enjoy all the activities that we like (and avoid the cold winter months). What area did you select and why? (If you don't mind me asking!)
We spent 15 years in SE MI (job, not choice, and what I anticipated would only be 3-5 years). Moved there from Ft. Lauderdale so go figure.
We really had our eye on Asheville, NC down to Hendersonville. Ended up in the Greenville, SC area (North Greer) as we could get more house for our money and lower taxes. A minimum requirement was to have a Whole Foods within 45 minutes max.
Hiking and biking are passions. Living on the north side of Greenville is a gateway to Jones Gap State Park and Table Rock, not to mention other mountain areas in SC as well as being just over an hour to Asheville and all the mountains in between. We ride our mountain bikes on all the hilly roads between our house and the mountains.
There are a few other cool features to Greenville besides all the great restaurants. Paris Mountain State Park has tons of hiking and mountain biking trails. Downtown Greenville is great to walk and has an extensive paved path system around the Falls at Reedy Creak. One of those rails-to-t4ails called the Swamp Rabbit Trail goes north through Furman University to Travelers Rest, right past Paris Mountain.
Google Greenville and you will see what I mean. I’m also happy to share what I’ve learned from many moves and ways to look at retirement ahead of time.
Feel free to ask Bill for my contact info and we can commune directly if you’d like. Bill: feel free to share my goods with Chuck.
Regarding the Twitter issue, while the internet brought many tech benefits (such as what were are doing right here) it also led to the death of newspapers, social media/influencers and the AI driven proliferation of illegitimate news.
You didn’t ask about the trauma of war, abuse, etc. I believe PTSD would be negatively related to happiness.
Good grief Bill, you do have fun with numbers don't you?
The Twitter issue of having an opinion or not caring less: I fall in in latter category.
I always thought the CDC was a reporting agency more than a policy making entity so I question your premise that their "authority" is being undermined. Whatever happened to states rights?
https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/aboutlawsregulationsquarantineisolation.html
The third letter in CDC represents control, as in disease control.
And while states my have “rights,” those rights must be congruent with the “nation.” That’s why the pledge of allegiance says “one nation”. States cannot run their own air traffic control, passport office and other institution that are better managed at a national level. Anything else would mean we are a bunch of separate countries like the EU. If that is your preference I suggest you move to Europe!
The mission of the CDC from their site:
“As the nation's health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish our mission, CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise.Feb 25, 2022”
Bill,
Just a comment about words to communicate opposites. What is the opposite of happy? Is it unhappy or not happy? The word choice is more than semantics. I learned this many years ago in my first professional position. I left the company because I was dissatisfied for several reasons. When I announced my resignation, I was surprised how many of my co-workers said they wished they could make an employment change. That was because (my assessment) the company wants people who were “not dissatisfied” rather than satisfied. Relatively easy to have not dissatisfied; much more difficult to have ones who are satisfied. That experience was front and center in my employer assessments throughout the remainder of my career.
Thanks for reading,
Marty Cohen
Bill, I think a lot of people equate “happiness” and “money” in terms of security. It is not that you can buy MORE with more money. It’s that you can buy SECURITY to know that money is not a challenge.
I don’t believe money necessarily buys happiness but it definitely buys security and stability and removing those as stressors certainly makes achieving happiness easier.
Money cannot buy happiness, but it can buy distractions to keep you from realizing you don't have true happiness. I believe true happiness derives from contentment. If you have enough money to feed, clothe and shelter you and yours, you should be content. Being content with what you have allows you to recognize, appreciate and savor all the good things around you. I think happiness consists of enough material goods to banish the worry that comes with uncertainty so you can find the joys in your life.