Yes, you can buy happiness with money. The problem is that a lot of people are unaware of what they ought to purchase in order to be happy. The majority of people spend their money on items that don’t contribute to their long-term happiness. As a result, a lot of people aren’t maximizing their purchases and investments for the purpose of achieving long-term satisfaction.
The research If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy Then You Probably Aren’t Spending It Right caught my attention recently. This study’s researchers unearth and pinpoint a surprising divergence and failure in society. Every day, people pursue happiness by making purchases that don’t contribute to it. This got me to thinking about the problems that continue to plague our society as a result of its pervasive unconscious consumption. Deep-seated problems exist, and they extend beyond excessive consumerism to include life dissatisfaction and general misery. Young professionals, for instance, are feeling overburdened and many are finding it difficult to live up to the expectations that society and their parents have of them. Young people are killing themselves as a result, and young professionals are developing depression. I refer to this as a happiness epidemic.
I came upon a friend’s question on Facebook a few weeks ago, and it was posted:
“Who wants to accompany me to the mall? I need to go shopping! ASAP!”
This person’s sincere belief that a brand-new pair of shoes will genuinely have an effect on their feelings and make them happy is what makes this post frightening. Even more concerning is the fact that this is the mentality of individuals across the nation, and better still, the entire world. People that adopt this mindset frequently receive praise from associations, businesses, and the media. Now, this is not a criticism on businesses or corporations. I understand that businesses have a job to do and that duty is to make money since I am an entrepreneur and marketer. Not that I have a problem with businesses seeking to boost their profits. The lack of understanding we (consumers) have about what will genuinely make us happy and what won’t is my concern in this world of overconsumption.
The study confirms the idea that happiness can be purchased with money. You read correctly. Happiness is an attainable goal. The issue arises from the fact that the majority of individuals don’t spend their money on items that genuinely increase happiness. People are making pointless investments in goods and services that will only have a short-term emotional impact rather than long-term effects on their happiness and life.
Most people don’t know the basic scientific facts about happiness—about what brings it and what sustains it—and so they don’t know how to use their money to acquire it. It is not surprising when wealthy people who know nothing about wine end up with cellars that aren’t that much better stocked than their neighbors’, and it should not be surprising when wealthy people who know nothing about happiness end up with lives that aren’t that much happier than anyone else’s — If Money Doesn’t Make You Happy You Aren’t Spending It Right.
An essay about consumerism and pleasure was published in the New York Times in 2010.
In this post, a professor talked about a study that revealed the top category that is directly linked to happiness. Unexpectedly, the most popular category didn’t include jewelry from Tiffany’s, cars, or even house upgrades. Leisure activities, which include travel, entertainment, sports, and accessories like golf clubs, yoga mats, and surfboards, were the most popular category. So, when trying to maximize our life utilizing a paycheck, our main goal should be to purchase real unforgettable events.
Sources:\shttp://rosssimmonds.com/2012/03/14/happiness-optimization/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/business/08consume.html? r=1
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219813
Fact:
Another school of thoughts argues that Money cannot buy you happiness until and unless your happiness lies in MATERIALISTIC things. To which I don’t disagree. Sometimes even that’s important.
Money helps you buy COMFORT but not HAPPINESS .
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