100 us dollar bill

Can money buy happiness? This question has been thought over and analyzed by hundreds of sources and people. Everyone’s conclusion to that question will vary, but the majority of them result in a similar answer. Within certain limitations, money has the power to give people happiness, even though this happiness is artificial, temporary, and often based on material goods rather than lifelong experiences shared with others.

The happiness created from money is often artificial and temporary. For example, you see a $10 bill sitting on the sidewalk, and you become very happy that you have some extra spending money now. However, hours later you forget about this, and move on with something that holds a higher value. To further explain the concept of temporary happiness, Sarah Gervais states, “Buying things does make us happy, at least in the short term. In the long-term, however, we habituate to new things and even though they may have made us excited and happy at first, eventually the item becomes the new normal and fades into the background,” demonstrating money’s ability to give short term happiness concerning artificial or material goods (Gervais). The happiness provided by money does give us happiness at first, but as the item bought by money fades and becomes unimportant, so does that happiness.

Money is often spent on materialistic things rather than memorable experiences, which shortens the length and value of happiness. A common usage of a surplus of money is spent on the new iPhone to stay relevant with trends, rather than a family vacation (Blackman). Due to this decision, the happiness that is created by money is often short lived, rather than carried on through memories. For example, you decide to take your family to Disney World for a family vacation. You create long lasting memories that you are able to look back on, and feel happy. However, if you decided to get new phones for everyone in your family instead, eventually the happiness of phones will fade away as they become used, and new products come out. This concept proves that experiences are more memorable than tangible objects, and have long-lasting value (Blackman).

One way to prolong happiness derived from money, and add to its value, is to spend your money on other people. A simple example is, one day of the week, instead of getting your $5 coffee in the morning from starbucks, spend that money on a warm breakfast for a homeless person. Or treat your best friend to their favorite restaurant on their birthday. This concept has been researched for a long time by many credible sources. Harvard Business blog says, “Although it might be tempting to spend this money on yourself, a decade of research shows that you’re more likely to derive happiness from spending it on someone else,” demonstrating the scientific evidence behind the happiness derived from money towards the joy of others (Dunn and Courtney). Happiness from money that is spent on others, is more times than not, more genuine and long-lasting than spending it on yourself.

Even with its limitations, money can buy happiness, with the consideration that happiness is artificial, temporary, and usually wasted on material goods. Money does have the power to give people happiness. This happiness does not hold a strong and long-lasting value though. The money is usually spent on material goods and quick bursts of joy. So, next time you are looking to spend some money with the end result of happiness, spend it for a good reason on a friend or person in need.

Works Cited


Blackman, Andrew. “Can money buy you happiness?” Wall Street Journal, Dow & Jones Company, 10 November     2014, https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-money-buy-happiness-heres-what-science-has-to-say-1415569538, Accessed on 13 October 2021.
 
Dunn, Elizabeth, and Courtney, Chris. “Does More Money Really Make Us More Happy?” Harvard Business Review, 14 Sept. 2020, https://hbr.org/2020/09/does-more-money-really-makes-us-more-happy, Accessed on 15 October 2021.

Gervais, Sarah. “Can Money Buy Happiness?” Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 11 Nov. 2015, https://psychology.unl.edu/can-money-buy-happiness, Accessed on October 13 2021.

image_printPrint this page.

Author

0 0 votes
Rate This Post
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
3 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
March 21, 2023 9:52 am

Online casino is one of the most popular gambling activities. It is highly addictive, it can be done from anywhere and anytime. People love to play casino games because of its exciting features and thrilling games. If you are going to create your own free online casino on your website or social https://rubriek.nl/financien/hoe-kies-je-een-ideaal-online-casino-tips/ media pages, this will give you Will help promote products or services because people love free stuff!

stephen
stephen
December 16, 2022 7:14 am

Sure, it can. Chilean players are constantly searching for the quickest-paying online casinos. This kind of operator allows you to take your earnings out right away. Processing payments can take up to 24 hours in some circumstances and just a few seconds in others. Today, there are several casinos that pay out rapidly. With the help of surprisingly efficient payment methods that are suitable for Chilean soil, you can immediately withdraw money from your fast-payment online casino account at each of these gaming websites. To learn more about casinos de pago rapido, go to casinoschilenos.online/casinos-de-pago-rapido. You can also find online casinos that accept the Pay N Play method of payment.

November 1, 2021 7:46 pm

In the article “Can Money Buy Happiness?” I learned that money buys happiness in two ways. You either spend the money on making memories, or materialistic things. Memories will last for a long time. If you buy something materialistic the joy will only last a couple of minutes, because you will get tired of it eventually.

I believe that spending money on memories is never the wrong way to go because you will remember that for a while. On the other hand, I have bought sunglasses, watches, phones, and the joy is only there for such a little time, compared to the money I wasted on concerts.

What is something you regretted buying?

Youth Voices is an open publishing and social networking platform for youth. The site is organized by teachers with support from the National Writing Project. Opinions expressed by writers are their own.  See more About Youth VoicesTerms of ServicePrivacy Policy.All work on Youth Voices is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

CONTACT US

Email allisonpr@gmail.com Call or Text 917-612-3006

Sending
Missions on Youth Voices
3
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x

Log in with your credentials

or    

Forgot your details?

Create Account