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Money Can’t Buy You Happiness And Here’s Why!

There are numerous people around the world who are in search of money. They believe that money makes the world go round, but new research has brought to light that there is actually a limit to the amount of ‘ happiness’ that money can bring. Here we take a look at what money means to the masses and what science and research tell us.

If you asked a person whether they would choose to do a high-paying job that would make them unhappy or whether they would prefer to do a hobby that doesn’t promise to pay the bills, we think everyone would opt for the former. Of course, it is a matter of doing what we have to do to keep our lives together. After all, painting isn’t going to get your kid through private school or put a meal on the table or pay your mortgage – unless you somehow strike lucky and become the next great thing in the industry. However, there needs to be a balance.

The Reasoning Behind It

It has been found that a person’s happiness level does in fact increase as the value of their income increases but only until a certain point. After this point has been reached, levels of happiness drop with an increase in income. These parabolic results can be thought of in simple examples.

Think of yourself earning a low income, one that will have you scraping your money together to buy food and pay for living expenses. Think of struggling to make ends meet and pay for basic necessities. This kind of life is, unsurprisingly, most likely to have your happiness level at its lowest.

Now think of earning a moderate income. You can afford a car of your own, a home for your family, and you even go on the odd holiday or two and spend a couple of nights out for dinner every month. You have enough to pay for healthcare and to cover little luxuries like expensive clothing and fine wine.

Now imagine earning enough that you have a massive home, fly out on first-class planes, and everything else is pretty much the same – dinners out, fine wine, and expensive clothing. Your car will probably be fancier though, and you may even have a few. But, the point is this – you will be working harder and have less time to spend enjoying all these luxuries and all the things your money can buy. You won’t be seeing family and friends as much as you would like to because you will be cooped up in the office. This is a reduced quality of life as you can tell.

Now, when you’re seeing a phenomenal income running in millions of dollars a year, you can say that such an absurd income will mean you aren’t actually doing a day job, but rather you’re making money off of your money.

It’s all about balance

From the above examples, it only makes sense that it would be the most comfortable earning the amount that buys you all you need and a little more. Anything more than that is going to have you investing too much time and effort in it to make any earnings valuable, no matter how much they are – unless you are making money off of your money.

Scientifically, happiness is not all the same. Think of eating a slice of rich chocolate cake. Science will tell you that the brainwave from an activity like this, one where you experience pleasure, is like a square. You enjoy the event, and your happiness level drops back to normal very quickly afterward. However, when you do something like spend time with the old people at the old age home, your happiness level increases and remains at a high far, far longer than any expensive item purchase, indulgent treat, or exhilarating activity. What this tells us is that human happiness is wired not for the pleasures that money can buy, but for the altruistic and honest deeds we can perform. Contributing to the happiness of others and fulfilling the needs of the less fortunate is a way to ensure your level of happiness stays pumped up.

So you may have been thinking, just like everyone else, that the grass is so much greener on the other side. However, all you really need to do is to make sure you’re making enough, and a little bit more, and there is no more happiness that you can buy! The rest comes from sincere gestures and generosity. Let’s toast to that!

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