Most of us believe that money can bring us happiness. Some people are even willing to travel long distances and take considerable risks only to get a chance of becoming rich. However, before you follow in their footsteps and start wondering what are the odds of winning the lottery, it would be wise to stop for a second and consider if the thought of getting more money is the right way to go.
The philosophical question ‘how much money is enough?’ has been at the center of many debates for centuries. While some firmly believe that we are fine living without the excessive amount of cash, others stay true to their convictions and state that money offers us new possibilities that can lead to the betterment of our well-being. Which side of the coin is correct? If you wish to find out the answer to this question, read on.
The More You Earn, the More You Want
In his book ‘The Paradox of Choice,’ Barry Schwartz discusses the problems that can occur when we have too much choice. It was observed that as people became more affluent in an effort to satisfy their needs and wants, the more they wanted.
There is a point when your resources are no longer able to satisfy all your needs, and you feel uncertain about what you really need, hence increasing your desire for material goods. That means that once you reach a certain level of wealth, having more money won’t make you appreciably happier.
Being Wealthy Can Make You Miserable
Even though studies have shown that having more money can increase your happiness, increased wealth does not always lead to happiness. Some researchers argue that the reason is simple: wealthy people are unhappy because they are constantly reminded of how much they need to spend just to maintain their status.
Material Goods Are Not Everything
While money is definitely a great way to buy material goods, the truth is, they are not everything you need to be happy. Think about it – do you really enjoy going shopping? There is a chance that you don’t. When wealthy people want to purchase something, they tend to go online or ask someone else to do it for them. After all, why would you spend hours in crowded malls if you could avoid it?
Aristotle claimed that happiness is based on the pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. However, many researchers believe that it is not only about that. There are much more important things in life than material goods, and they impact your happiness significantly.
Friendships Are More Important Than Money
Even though money is definitely important for your well-being, there are other factors that influence it. For example, people who have supportive friends are less likely to experience symptoms of depression and are more likely to feel happier than people who lack close friends and confidants.
Therefore, even though it might be tempting to get rich and spend your time traveling the world or indulging yourself with fine wines and delicacies, it is important to understand that friendships can provide both purpose and meaning in life.
You Can’t Buy Your Health
Studies have shown that good health is one of the most important factors that contribute to a person’s happiness. In fact, most people who are not perfectly healthy have a low level of subjective well-being, even if they are rich and famous. And health is not something you can buy – therefore, you should focus on it in the first place if you want to feel happier.
Learning Something New Is Worth More Than Money
If you want to get happier, try learning something new, even if it is something as simple as playing the piano. Studies have shown that learning new things can increase your happiness level and improve your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Don’t worry – this does not mean that you have to quit your current job and enroll in a university, as there are plenty of opportunities for learning new skills online. For instance, you can take cooking classes or learn how to develop mobile apps. Choose whatever you wish to try.
Pro Tips: How to Live a Happy Life?
As we have established, being happy is not a matter of having money or not. Instead, it is a matter of what you do with your life. Here are some tips that could help you feel happier:
While it is normal to have bad days and feel unhappy sometimes, if you often think negatively, you are likely to become unhappy in the long run. Instead of wondering how bad your job is and how miserable you are, try to find something positive about everything that happens in your life. This will boost your mood and make you feel better.
Make Friendships a Priority
It’s tempting to spend all your time working and earning money so that you can buy all the material things you need and want. However, spending time with friends and family is more important, as that can make you happy on a regular basis.
If you don’t have many friends, make it your priority to find them. Join social clubs or take classes at the local learning center. Don worry, you don’t need to quit your job – just make more time for the people who are important to you.
Set Goals and Work Towards Them
While money can be one of the things that can help you reach your goals, it is not the only one. Instead of focusing on making more money, try to find ways to achieve your personal goals with your current resources.
For example, if you want to travel around the world, consider doing so by saving money or taking part-time jobs during the weekends. If you want to boost your career and achieve business success, focus on your skills and knowledge instead of trying to find ways to earn more.
Money can definitely make you happier, but only if you spend it wisely. If you want to get as much happiness as possible from your life, focus on what really matters. Spend time with your friends and family, find ways to improve your health, set new goals, and learn new things.
If building a fortune does not make you feel happy, look for other ways to improve your well-being: learn something new, travel, focus on your family, or donate money to charity. Choose something you enjoy the most and feel better about your life.