Throughout the course of your life you will hear many telling you that money does not translate to happiness. Although one does not automatically imply the other, if money is not bringing you happiness, chances are that you are not spending it right. So, what is the relationship between money and happiness?
Money as a purpose in life
For most people, making money is one of the main objectives in life. Although the actual generation of money may not be the direct purpose, this would lead to other life objectives such as buying a property, car or catering for private school tuition for the kids. Accomplishing such objectives which would in turn promote better life satisfaction and thus happiness are directly correlated with how much money you manage to make.
Never enough
It is quite common that when one gets used to a certain level of income, it seemingly becomes less satisfying. Many people have a lot in their life, yet are never satisfied. The number of assets, career progression and investments might not translate into happiness. This shows that the relationship between money and happiness is more complicated than one would think. Why doesn’t the acquisition of material elements last longer than simply momentary joy?
Can we ever be totally happy?
Happiness is highly subjective. One of the matters to keep in mind is that we are never satisfied. We are conditioned to think that with just a bit more money, we would be happier. When we get to that point, we end up still being less satisfied. This translates to an outcome whereby the more we have, the more we want. It must also be stated that the more money you have, the less effective it is at bringing you joy. Some psychologists believe that once basic human needs are met, a lot more money does not lead to a lot more happiness. We tend to overestimate the pleasure we get from having more money. By their very nature, humans are adaptable which means that they will get used to most things. Whilst your shiny new Lamborghini will thrill you, it will eventually subside as you will get used to it.
What do you think about the relationship between money and happiness? Do you think more money will make you happy? Let us know your views and thoughts in the comments section below.
