Do you think money can buy happiness, why or why not?

[Anonymous]

I thought about this a lot, and I finally came to the conclusion that money can buy happiness. Because for example, if we have a passion to travel the world, having money Will help. Having money will help you to access many things in this world. You can have fine things. You can have fine food. You can have fine things to wear. You can live in luxurious homes, you can fly business or even get a private jet , attend parties with rich people and so on.

If given a chance, would anyone choose to be poor? I think that answers the question.

I know that I've only stated materialistic things but I feel at the moment of time in the 21st century, that's of utmost importance for everyone.

[HawkPerception]

The grass is always greener on the other side. The things you know you don't have are the things you desire. You think that if you grew up in family that did not let you use the internet or social media and home schooled you, you would have known about all these material things? Houses, cars, vacations to luxurious areas in the world, fine dining, etc? No, you would not. And the moments you would call happy are the good times with family. You wouldn't need anything grand. No fancy house, car, vacation, fine dining, etc. because you would not know of them.

This society is built on consumerism and it has people brainwashed to never be content. If you're making $30k you want to make $60k beecause of what you see people with $60k buying and if you make $60k you want to make $120k because of what you see people with $120k buy and then it goes to $240k then $1m then, then millions and can even get to billions if you get that far. It never stops.

Happiness is a fleeting emotion. There is no life that will give you happiness at every moment of your life. The happiest times you'll have are those with your loved ones and those times don't have to be anything luxurious. It does help when you can get all you can eat or all the booze you want and not have to worry about the money. It does help when you're on a yacht with family having a BBQ because the setting is a bit nicer than a cramped space at home. It does help when you don't have to worry about how you're going to pay your next rent or worry about your budget when grocery shopping. The less things you have to stress about, the more peace you'll have in life.

So my answer is... yes money does buy comfort. But it does not increase happiness directly. One of the top regrets people have when they die is that they wished they had let themselves be happier. And that right there is the secret sauce in life. Learning to be content with what you have and where you are. Enlightenment.

I'm not there yet myself, but I'm working on it. Most people do not become millionaires. There are only approximately 60 million millionaires in the world currently. There are approximately 8 billion people in the world currently. That means that only about 0.7% of the world's population are millionaires. Do you think that means that the other 99.3% of the world are unhappy?

[Chazmatazz269]

No. Money buys things and people think things will make them happy. That’s one of the many pitfalls of a capitalist economy and consumerist society.
I dislike the filthy rich more than most. But there’s a prevailing trend right now of characterizing wealthy people as “evil”. What they really are is dysfunctional, like most of us. They have problems like the rest of us too. They’re just different problems. They’re trying to fill the whole in their soul with stuff. Naturally they fail. Rather than realize stuff isn’t the solution, they think the solution is MORE stuff. Ell oh ell! When i think about them in that way, i actually feel bad for them. They probably don’t even have good people around them to help them get right. In “Guardians of the Galaxy”, Drax talks about how beautiful people never really know if they have true friends because everyone wants to be around them. Rich people are the same way. Everyone hovers around them hoping for scraps, or tips for getting rich. How many of them actually care what’s going on inside of their wealthiest friends?
I’m good on all that. I’ll take good family and friends over excessive wealth any day. People bring me joy. Money doesn’t.

[Account]

I know the problem lies elsewhere for me.
However, I like being considered helpful it is a part of my happiness, perhaps if I had more money I could be more helpful and improve the situation for other people who are in need of help?
Because if I help others I help myself too.
Using that money on myself no, because it wouldn't make me happy being able to afford expensive clothes or vacations or eating expensive shit or having a limousine or having a jet.
It is just not part of who I am.

[Simslover92]

Absolutely. It's the one thing I'm missing in my life. If I had money, I would be so complete. Like you said I could travel which is one of my major passions in life. I would love to be able to travel whenever or wherever I want to travel.

[Asker]

Mine too lol

[Syntosi]

Yes and no. First of all, I dont think money can buy happiness directly. I do however believe that it can open up doors of possibilities to enable you to become happy. That said, I also think there is a bit of a trap here. It is easy to convince yourself that by purchasing something you want then you will become happy. This is generally not actually the case and can lead to many people purchasing more and more things that they ultimately dont care about to try fill a need that has to be satisfied in other ways.

So in a realistic way, money sometimes can "buy" you happiness, but it can also buy you depression. You still need to be a person which can find happiness in the first place without or sometimes with assistance. Money can be part of that assistance but there are many paths to happiness.

If you are unhappy today because, in your eyes, you dont have enough money then you are probably the kind of person who would just buy depression if you ever became rich.

[Asker]

I get your point. But doesn't mean rich people are always depressed. Plus you can be poor and depressed so id rather be rich and depressed lol.

[Syntosi]

Of course, nothing about rich people means you have to be depressed. Its just a common pitfall that many people fall into and you would be surprised how many rich people are in reality miserable people.

[menina]

No, I don't think so. It is absolutely true that money can buy almost everything in this world, but that's not the case for happiness. You can be a millionaire and still feel miserable and hopeless.

But I do agree that no one would choose to be poor.

[normalice]

Happiness is more difficult when you are starving or anxious about potential tragedies you can do nothing about. The thing is with money you can do something about these things thus making access to happiness easier.

[JacobJordan]

Some of the happiest people are those in 3rd world countries with absolutely nothing.

[normalice]

Tons of the most miserable people are there to, though.

[FreyaRed]

Money gives self-confidence. Self-confidence makes you more attractive to others. If attracting others make you happy, then it means money makes you happy to some extent.
Of course traveling and all that materialistic stuff is obtainable with money and it makes happy. Everyone who denies it has already everything or is a hypocrite.

[Lynx122]

I think you just need to find a way to have more income than outgoing but if you can do that consistently even if you're ony saving a little bit every month you can be happy but when things get difficult and your savings go down then it's a problem. But outside of just being fine and saving a bit I don't think money will make you that much happier. There's a lot of other things that affect your happiness most of them internal.

[UniquelyBasic]

Yes and no. Having enough money to pay bills and be comfortable living or taking care of family will bring you peace and in turn make you happier. Ultimately, a deeply sad person isn't going to just be a happier person long-term just because of money. It's not going to automatically fix everything wrong with you.

[CriticalCatDad]

I need money in order to survive which would make me happy but at the same time money attracts women and women don't make me happy. So money is a double edged sword

[Unit1]

Yeah, money buys me happiness quite literally.

[JacobJordan]

I have money and it most assuredly does not buy happiness. Happiness comes from within. Money can lead to things that make one happy but you can't buy an emotion.

[Anonymous]

i don't think you can be happy without it because you'd always be worried about it

[A_Nihilist]

Money can absolutely buy happiness.

If I had money I would he able to eat everyday. I would be able to pay my bills on time. I would be able to afford the things that I enjoy doing.

Anyone who says money can't buy happiness has likely never know the feeling of living on the brink of homelessness and or starvation.

Even if I was rich beyond my wildest dreams. I would spent most of it on my friends. Literally buying happiness.

[NaultD]

It can buy security and a foundation. From there, buy opportunities. You still need to be a person who wants to have fun and be someone fun to be around.

[DishLady]

No… because you can have the most $$$, biggest house, 50 cars, blah blah blah, with a million clingers-on calling themselves your friends… and still be lonely and unloved.

[jennifer_bloom]

I believe what the research says that you can buy happiness by spending on others but if you spend it on yourself you do not get a mood boost.

[Astarlessnightsky]

Only to a certain amount, as having enough money get rid of any struggles and worries. Beyond that its no longer important.

[Billlewis]

As long as it can secure her happiness, that's all that matters. The answer, therefore, is yes.

[genericname85]

happiness is a decision. if you decide to be happy when you buy things, then money can buy happiness. tho i would argue that is not a good decision unless you're rich.

[itsclearlynicholas]

And what to buy or where and when to shop next mall 🛍️🛒🛍️🛒

[Razp_Sorbet]

Money buys a lot of things that can bring you joy but just having money will not automatically make you a happy person

[DrPepper12]

Money buys choices and having choices often leads to happiness so yes.

[VV3ZZY123]

I think it can if you are happy doing it. Happiness comes from within. Even poor people can be happy every day.