Does Wealth Lead to Happiness

You can't buy happiness! Have you heard this before? Do you think that it is true? Surely we have all heard this age old adage, and most of us understand that it is indeed true. You cannot buy yourself a happy life.

But does that mean that money is bad, that we should not strive to build wealth and financial prosperity for ourselves and those that we love? Absolutely not. Just as money does not buy happiness, it definitely does not repel it either.

In fact, there are many negative beliefs about money that many people hold, beliefs that literally kill off any chance for them to ever get rich.

Having financial abundance is something that most people desire. How can it not be? Money is an essential part of living, and the more of it you have, the more freedom you are able to enjoy. I personally think that the money can't buy happiness line is just an excuse that many people use to justify why they are not rich, even though they secretly wish they were.

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They use this statement as a way to project to others that they are not rich because they do not want to be, because they frown upon it, when in all reality they would strive for wealth if they actually thought they had a chance at attaining it.

I think that happiness stems from deeper levels than material abundance. But I also feel that money can greatly enhance the excitement, freedom, and enjoyability of life, when it is in the right hands.

If someone who is miserable thinks that by building a fortune they will find the key to happiness, they will assuredly be disappointed. If you are not happy without money, you will not be happy with money.

But if someone is genuinely happy, and they have an optimistic and positive outlook on life, creating wealth will add to their overall experience. Money is in no way bad, and if you keep the right perspective on it, you can enjoy a wealthy and happy life.

So does wealth lead to happiness? No it doesn't, but it can add greatly to the life experience of someone who is already happy. It can offer the freedom that we were meant to enjoy during our lifetime, it can allow us to enjoy the best that the world has to offer, and it can allow us to give more to those we care about, a blessing that is very incredible.

But if you are miserable and you hope that getting rich will solve all of your problems, you may want to take a different approach. Rather than using money to compensate for something else that is missing in your life, find contentment and happiness with what you have right now, and then strive for wealth as a way to enjoy more of the wonderful blessings that can only be had when you attain financial abundance.

To sum it all up I want to share a great quote from one of my favorite motivational speakers, T. Harv Eker.... Listen up, my friends. Money is extremely important in the areas in which it works, and extremely unimportant in the areas in which it doesn't. And although love may make the world go round, it sure doesn't pay for the building of any hospitals, churches, or homes. It also doesn't feed anybody.

So strive for wealth if you have the desire to do so, and enjoy it when it comes. Use it to better your own life as well as the lives of those around you. But be happy now because it will make the journey more enjoyable, more successful, and when you do attain financial prosperity, it will be a blessing that will add much to your life. Money = Happiness, But There’s a Catch.

The articles The Sandra Bullock Trade and But Will It Make You Happier? both discuss the relation between wealth and happiness, and it doesn’t require much to figure out, that these articles agree that happiness doesn’t depend on wealth in general. But as The Sandra Bullock Trade nearly refuses any connection between the two and even states that “if you have an unsuccessful marriage (…) you will remain significantly unfulfilled” (p. 2), But Will It Make You Happier? points out that even though happiness isn’t dependent on income, your buys will influence your mood.

The Sandra Bullock Trade acknowledges that poor people are generally unhappier, but the article also claims that as long as your basic needs are fulfilled, money makes no difference. This is probably the biggest disagreement between the articles, as But Will It Make You Happier? is somewhat more capable of differentiating the dilemma. Instead of just having a one-tack mind, the article focuses on both the pleasure that money can bring, but it also declares how we are more likely to find joy when we buy social activities than when we buy material objects.

The Sandra Bullock Trade catches your attention from the very beginning. The headline itself makes you want to read it, because a celebrity like Sandra Bullock is a person that will instantly catch your attention whether you want her to or not. Another means, which The Sandra Bullock Trade uses, is to turn directly to the reader, and in the sentence “Nonetheless, if you had to take more than three second to think about this question, you are absolutely crazy” (p. 2), the article does so. The article asks the reader whether he would “(…) exchange a tremendous professional triumph for a severe personal blow?” (p. 2), and hereby it is not only making the reader think, but it also forces the reader to consider his own life. The link between the reader’s life and the article makes it difficult to stop reading, contemporary with bringing a new significance to The Sandra Bullock Trade.

Besides of the above-mentioned means, The Sandra Bullock Trade expresses a curtain criticism against the general way of grasping life and the school system by saying that “Most schools and colleges spend too much time preparing students for careers and not enough to make social decisions” (p. 3) This controversial statement, which might be slightly exaggerated, prepares the ground for a debate, which is an important component of an interesting article, and the exaggeration help holding on to the reader as well. Last but not least, the deliberate choice of words and the substantiation of the statements of the article contribute to engage the reader.

Superficially seen, But Will It Make You Happier? and Happiness, Money and Giving It Away share the same opinion. Money won’t buy you joy, but it might buy you some happy moments, that is. But taking a look under the surface, you’ll recognize that Happiness, Money and Giving It Away goes deeper than the other article. But Will It Make You Happier? states that great social experiences can be bought, and Happiness, Money and Giving It Away doesn’t disagree with that. But Happiness, Money and Giving It Away distinguishes between an apparent, momentarily happiness and a more sincere, long-lasting feeling of enjoyment. This genuine happiness can’t be achieved by wealth, but wealth can still be a part of the achievement, which causes the joy. As an example, Happiness, Money and Giving It Away refers to Warren Buffett, who is the second wealthiest man in the world.

Even though his long work hours have caused him to be more stressed and in a worse mood than others, he is now experiencing a satisfaction that has been worth the waiting time. With the point of this example being that a temporarily good mood can’t lead to a greater happiness, Happiness, Money and Giving It Away denies that spending makes you into a happy person, and contradicts But Will It Make You Happier?’s statement, saying that as long as you don’t compare your own purchases with other’s, using your money will to some extent make you happier.

So, a great income and using your money on social activities will make you momentarily happy. But to feel real happiness, you should find a more meaningful activity.