• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Is money the source of happiness?

Status
Not open for further replies.
On the most shallow and superficial level, enough money gives you "fuck you money."

"Fuck you money" means you and your happiness are never at the mercy of somebody else's whim; be it a shitty boss or a disrespectful client or an abusive customer or whoever. Nobody has power over you anymore because you have the means to remove them from your life without going broke or homeless. You are truly free because you never have to do anything or submit yourself to anything or anyone out of desperation "just to pay the bills" anymore.

There is a definitive happiness in that freedom.
 
Money is an inanimate object that can help you obtain dynamic experiences and can provide a few needs, but its still what it is. Money cannot compare to love, be it in the form of real friends and a Significant other.
 
This is actually something we can empirically study. The answer, as far as I've seen, is: to an extent.

At lower income levels, increasing salary increases happiness in direct, linear proportion. However, this effect almost entirely vanishes once a household reaches ~70-80k per year. At that point, the correlation flatlines, and people making 200k are no more likely to be happy than people making 300k who are no more likely to be happy than people making 2M.

The most plausible and most frequently cited explanation fro this is that money helps one be happy when essentials are threatened: that is, when you're only making 40k, then you're far more likely to be at risk of losing your home or your car or of not keeping clothes on your children's backs. Those things affect happiness -- not just losing them, but being at risk of losing of them.

But the swag and the women and the booze? No, that does not seem to make people happy, based on the evidence I've seen.
 
JasonMCG said:
Money buys peace of mind. Peace of mind is a huge factor of overall happiness. So yes, money can technically buy happiness.
Click to expand...

This seems to be correct, and is essentially what I'm saying above. However, "peace of mind" seems to max out at a certain point. If you're an American making 90K a year, making even more than that brings very, very little additional "peace of mind." You're already about as protected from risk as is possible in the modern world.
 
I'd go with the idea of diminishing returns as someone who just had to go through a stressful financial situation for like half a year. Cutting back, having to move, change lifestyle choices all because your wallet isn't nearly as fat as it was the year before is a terrible burden I wouldn't wish on anyone.

At the bottom looking up, anything is better than making nothing. I'd imagine once you're sitting pretty looking down, at some point it all starts to look the same. When your basic necessities are no longer something you have to worry about and you're already living in excess with more to spare... I mean where else do you find meaning? Intangibles kick in there I would imagine, with money being a long forgotten subject.
 
Not directly. In my experience, when people say money cannot buy you happiness they like to point to physical stuff and say "I don't need a super car or a fancy house to be happy".

Money lets you buy new experiences and it is these experiences that make you happy. For example more money lets you travel for longer periods and to more distant places. Also the absence of uncertainty regarding basic needs like shelter, food and clothing is another huge plus.
 
Opiate said:
This seems to be correct, and is essentially what I'm saying above. However, "peace of mind" seems to max out at a certain point. If you're an American making 90K a year, making even more than that brings very, very little additional "peace of mind." You're already about as protected from risk as is possible in the modern world.
Click to expand...

I would put that amount higher than 90k but agree with the principle.
 
I posted this before, the research on rich people was enlightening to me:

Messofanego said:
For people saying the money will solve the problems, you think you'll be left alone when you got that kind of cashflow? Maybe you might lose deep friendships or even family. If you are able to push the leeches out, you'll be left all alone anyway if they go bad on you.

Money is intangible, it's not going to make you feel better. It might make you more impulsive with an increase in unwise behaviour. Look at people who win the lottery, they end up being more unhappy than before.

The peak for emotional well being is $75,000 a year.

But if the lottery money is spent on experiences rather than materials, it's more beneficial.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8517946.stm
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/07/lottery.winning.psychology/

Once you are rich, you'll have higher aspirations. Which leads to increased levels of anxiety and stress. You also have to look at the inequality gap in the country you're residing in - is it equal like Denmark, Sweden, or Finland (the happiest reported countries)? If not, life satisfaction will be a problem as you'll always want to go higher i.e. "keeping up with the Joneses". In an 1985 study for the Forbes wealthiest Americans, the average level of subjective well-being was "modestly" better than other groups.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-happiness--but-only-up-to-22100-8968255.html

Money can help with being a good parent if you want to provide for your family, which is the main aspiration people worth $25 million and more strive for. But then there are issues with the children like will they have enough motivation, what about the sense of isolation, will they be stereotyped as trust fund babies, would they believe their accomplishments are down to skills or just the money, or how to have a meaningful life even if they didn't have to "make a living".

There is a silver lining that rather than material buyers who don't find much happiness, the money can be spent on life experiences which can be better but isn't an absolute.
Click to expand...
 
I'd rather cry in a Porsche.

Really though it helps alleviate stress in life, but can create new stresses you didn't think could exist. No one with a lot of money is completely stress-free. A lot of rich people are unhappy, too.

Happiness comes from intangible shit. I'm pretty broke, can barely afford to buy my games and car parts, but I don't care. I'm happy as can be because I got a place, two cars, stuff in said place, and a wonderful girlfriend who is also my best friend. Life doesn't get better.

I work part time in retail, btw.
 
Amputechture said:
I'd rather cry in a Porsche.
Click to expand...

I want that as my autobiography title.

hilton_poor.jpg
 
If money buys happiness then every poor person should be depressed and no celebrity should commit suicide. We know that doesn't happen.

Money buys comfort so you can focus on happiness but it won't make you happy.
 
I don't think money buys happiness, but lack of money can easily lead to problems that cause unhappiness.

If you can live comfortably there are fewer barriers.
 
Only up to ~60,000$, then happiness metrics begin to flatline.
Edit. Via a Ted talk, sorry can't remember which one.

Edit2. "money will grant you nearly any desire, but won't supply you with desire"
 
I think money only enables happiness, you still need the wisdom to know what makes you happy, and then to chase after it. Money will definitely help in that regard, whether it be monetary roadblocks or having a safety net to pursue something that might not make you money initially (still gotta support yourself after all)
 
No, I do not think so, but it removes certain unhappy things.

Happiness is relative too, I've found the most happiness in being surrounded by people I love who love me back and trying to do my best everyday / being good at the things I was doing.
 
Money is a significant factor, simply because our society is structured in a way that money is everything.

For example. winning the lottery means you will never have to spend countless hours slaving away in any line of work just to put food on the table. You can travel, buy a nice house with all sorts of items, you can help your relatives and immediate family.

You will gain access to beautiful women who were way above your league, you can provide for your partner or just invest in yourself.

With a lot of money you can just literally stop what ever you are doing now and go for something new and fresh.
 
Korey said:
Money only makes you happier up to $75,000 a year.

After that, you don't get any happier with more money.

http://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/commentaries/Happiness-Benchmark.php#ixzz37eM5xPxF
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/17/map-happiness-benchmark_n_5592194.html
Click to expand...
Definitely agree with this.

Really the life of a person making $80,000 and the life of a person making $1,000,000 isn't that different if you think about it. They probably each regularly use the exact same number of rooms in their house, and the foods they eat aren't that different.

When they buy tickets to sporting events, they both probably can see everything that happens in the game equally well, and when they go on vacations, you can find them touring cities, relaxing on beaches, and skiing in mountains.

Millionaires may partake in more exclusive versions of all those activities, but the reality is those activities aren't that different outside of the exclusivity itself. You maybe jealous of being unable to access something exclusive like that, but the thing is even millionaires still find themselves jealous of other's exclusive activities. There will always be someone who has more money than you, more fame than you, or more power than you. I think most of the desire for more money after that $80,000 does come from having increasingly exclusive things to show off and tales to tell.

If you could be satisfied by that sort of thing, you'd be satisfied with the fact that the $80,000 puts you above 99% of everyone in the world. There's a lot of people out there that would be impressed by the things you could do with your $80,000. But people tend to only care about what's above them, not below them, and so as long as there's someone above them, that's a desire they'll never see fulfilled.
 
Yes, and no. Not having enough makes you unhappy for various reasons.

The way I see it, money, and your personal financial situation, is a problem. Problems tend to make us unhappy if we can't solve them, especially if it's something we have to deal with constantly. Want a new car? Money's a problem. Want to pay your rent? Money's a problem.

If you become economically independent, or at least feel like you can manage your economy without feeling left out, there will be one less problem for you to solve and you will ultimately be happier for it (probably).

Having enough money solves a lot of problems in our society. It is a source of unhappiness and discontent and therefore removing the problem should also make you happier.
 
Happiness has a best by date. You get it, it's gone, gotta go the store and get some more. Money ain't the source of happiness, but it certainly provides methods of obtaining it and makes life much much easier when you have plenty of it.
 
Yes. This sounds like something that someone comfortably living a middle class life would question. I've got dozens of family members that if I dropped 100k on (10 even) would be living a much better life.
 
It's a major source of happiness and quality of life. Without it you're basically fucked if you get sick, lose your job, or get into some other emergency. And if you love the college experience it's going to cost ya.
 
Hmm. It can help. I'm not rich, or really even affluent, but I don't live check to check. I remember when I did I was often unhappy about a lot of things, even though I had a good sex life, friends, and family. I struggle more with social aspects now but I make a lot more money, and I'd say the happiness about breaks even.

Man I sound so shallow, but I'm being truthful. When you know you can pay the bills for months even if you end up unemployed, and don't have to worry about minor emergencies like sudden bills, it is a great ease on one's mind.
 
No it isn't because you can have money and still be severely unhappy.

It can eliminate plenty of problems induced by the lack of money. Which in return can relieve sadness and stress caused by such situations. Money is certainly a tool that makes life easier, but things like depression have no price. You aren't suddenly going to live happily ever after once you have money.

With all that said, I wish I was rich.
 
SpinDasher said:
While I sort of agree with this, we have to take into account all the shit that comes with being a celebrity.
Click to expand...

On one hand I think I could deal with the heavy scrutinization and criticism if I looked like Leo DiCaprio and had his money. On the other hand the money and fame seemed to drive many of them temporarily insane (or cost them their lives).
 
Yes, unless you live on a self sustaining farm then you will need money to buy food, shelter, clothes, etc to survive. Being a millionaire doesn't mean you are happy but there is a better chance you are happy as a millionaire than someone homeless starving in a gutter.
 
Not the source of happiness, but most certainly an enabler. Being stressed out by not having financial security is no way to live.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Morgan Housel's Psychology Of Money
1
207
HRK69 replied
Happiness is Contagious - From The Creator of Breaking Bad
13
2K
E-Cat replied
Happy Six Year Anniversary of The Rise of Skywalker
2 3
139
1K
Gp1 replied
Stephen Colbert is co-writing "The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past"
2 3 4
169
1K
TintoConCasera replied
The greatest movie composition of all time is
41
738
Dithadder replied
Top Bottom