Can Money Buy Happiness?

[FadedGrenade]

Spoiler alert: The answer is yes.

(Can I just take a moment to appreciate this image ok)

No, not directly.

Of course one can't buy straight up happiness. You can't buy any emotion, that's not how it works. Sure, you can buy alcohol that makes you happy, drugs that make you carefree, clothes that make you confident. But you can never just buy happiness.

Clearly, that isn't the question being asked her. You can't take everything literally. If this were a literal word for word question, the answer is no. But of course, to anyone who reads between the lines, the answer is a definite yes.

Basic Needs

It irritates me when people say that money doesn't matter and that your happiness depends on something else. But think about this. People living in poverty are twice as likely to be depressed. (source)

Money is extremely important to happiness, ask anybody who lacks it. Owning more money allows you to live in safer, bigger, nicer homes. You'll be able to buy more and better food, and we all know that a healthy diet leads to a healthy mind. Money allows for more leisure time, which decreasing mental anguish for everybody. You'll be able to afford healthcare, so you can live longer and healthier, and who doesn't feel happy when their life is improved?

People in poverty

A study "found a variety of chronic health problems disproportionately affecting the poor, with the incidence of depression showing the strongest disparity: 31 percent of Americans under the U.S. Census Bureau's poverty threshold in 2011 had been diagnosed with the disorder, as opposed to 15.8 percent of those not in poverty. Poverty may well be a causative agent of depression."

Spending money on others

Not only does spending money on yourself make you happier, but it seems that spending money on other people can have th same effect. Giving to charity, giving gifts, etc can make you feel good about yourself. Yes, it is usually the thought that counts. But I'm pretty sure most struggling poor people would be a lot more grateful when recieving money rather than a nice card that tells them to lift their head up. "Yet, when researchers assess happiness before and after people spend an annual bonus, people report greater happiness when they spend the bonus money on others or donate it to charity than when they spend it on themselves. This occurs regardless of how big the bonus was. One reason for this phenomenon is that giving to others makes us feel good about ourselves."

Of course, there are limits

Money creating happiness only works up to a certain point. Once you've reached a point of basic needs being met, other stressful things that come with earning more money tend to decrease the happiness, such as more stressful jobs, working longer hours, etc to maintain the income.

Then again, if you are rich without working, I'd say that happiness only stops when you want it to. ( :

P.S.

It's been scientifically proven.

[just_tired]

Exactly! It's not black and white, of course money has an effect. Good take :)

[xZoeyx]

Depends what you find happiness in

[Anonymous]

Ha, that last quote! Oddly enough, I've often felt this way when I see stories on the news where a person or a family has lost everything in a storm or earthquake or fire or something. Yes, we can agree human lives are important and such, but so was the food and water in that fridge that's gone, the clothes that were on that persons back, and that place to live so they aren't on the streets. To say so casually all can be replaced is assuming a certain amount of wealth exists for that person where they can just buy a whole new everything just like that.

In the above situation, money can buy back normalcy for that person. Money means you have health care, and food, and a lawyer that gets your crazy drunk uncle out of a DUI charge. It means you have access to education, transportation, electricity, global communication, and finally the word "extra." Someone who is poor does not know the meaning of extra because they've never had it. No second helpings, no second pair of shoes when the first is damaged beyond repair, no long showers after long exhausting days, no entertainment of any kind. I'd ask anyone who has never been poor who doesn't believe money can at least buy some modicum of happiness, to actually try being poor for a while and then report back.

[OfDeath]

Yeah if you have enough money to take a mortgage, get a credit card, finance your car etc then all that stresses the shit out of you.
So you couldn't really ever be happy in that situation.

However, if you won like $50,000,000 in the lottery and could just do whatever the fuck you wanted, that would make you pretty happy.

[Good_Behavior]

Actually there is no limit to the happiness money generates. The $70,000 "cap" was created not controlling for the actual relationship between being paid and work completed. Being paid above that value generates greater job satisfaction and there is no cap known yet.

[sovetskii13]

I heard people say that money buys resources, not happiness. But those resources lead to happiness. So yeah, you can't buy happiness directly, but it does provide the resources required to make you happy.
Very nice.

[ovi2boss]

Of course money buy happiness.
If people have money they have friends if they don't they might be alone.
Regarding health people who are rich are more healthy (or at least can fix their health problems) and mantain it better then the poor
Education is pretty harsh for poor people.
Love, family are also afected by this thing.
So there are more things regarding this.

[Lionelmesssi]

Yes, but not in the direct way like if I want to buy big house or to live in good place depends on money. so if I live in poverty place I will be sad tired because of that bad place, but if I have money I can go where ever I want so Yeeees if you are simple person. But if you have money because you just don't know what life means then just die ;)

[DeeDeeDeVour]

Let's get real here... Yes, of course, money can buy happiness! It may not turn someone into a better person but it will more likely erase many of his or her miseries.

[tek555_pessimist]

It is capable of providing a minimum level of happiness. As for how far above that minimum you go, that is a different story and is probably dependent on the person.

[Cursewords]

Money can buy happiness. It buys choices, which in turn allows you to make decisions that can make you happy. The only people who end up killing themselves whilst still being rich etc. had mental problems to begin with.

[azzntittiz]

It can make me happy, I want all the sad rich people to deposit all their wealth to my bank account. I want you to be happy, because I care for you.

[ladsin]

Enjoyed reading! If I recall correctly I think happiness was positively correlated with wealth up until ~$80,000, after that happiness drops off.

[Custard]

Roman Abramovich's original wife was looking a bit rough, so he dumped her and got younger more attractive specemin, Donald Trump did the same the thing, if I won the lottery I'd treat myself to a new wife.

[Anonymous]

Oh look.. the most materialistic generation in history is convinced money buys happiness. Big surprise.

[FadedGrenade]

tell me how it doesn't

[FadedGrenade]

its not like you've raised this generation or anything

[Pinay_ako]

It can buy me tickets to see my love ones then yes.

[ManaX]

All the best things in life are free, but the second best things in life are very expensive ;)

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

Being dead broke can't buy happiness at, but neither is having lots of money.

Happiness comes from being content and grateful in life, not the size of your house or car you drive etc.

[kitty71]

Totally agree with your comment

[scooogy]

No, because if you need money to buy happiness, you'd want to have money, and you'd "buy happiness" but lose the money, and you'll be where you were in the beginning.

[Anonymous]

How can you sleep and happy if you know tomorrow you can't eat? Of course money take big part of someone happiness. Imagine you're a single mom or dad, or basically parents, but you dont have money?

[castratedwhiteguy]

Give me enough money and I'll find a way to be happy. On the other hand, we all know that poverty sucks.

[Wwwyzzerdd]

No but it can pay for hookers, beer, dj's, soundstage, pool, quads, pounds of weed, catering, a bouncy house rental, and a donkey.