The question has been asked over and over again – does money buy happiness? And many people are quick to say that it doesn’t. Why is this even a question? Is there really any one thing in life that brings, buys, creates, guarantees, or leads to true and complete happiness? Here’s a hint … NO! For example:
Does success by itself bring happiness?
Do relationships by themselves ensure happiness?
Does good health by itself guarantee happiness?
Does contribution on its own create happiness?
Does the perfect job make someone totally happy?
Does peace-of-mind by itself make someone happy?
Does spirituality or religious beliefs assure happiness?
The answer to each of these questions is ‘no’!! Why, then, does everyone ask whether money “buys” happiness? And why would it even be expected that money alone could lead to a completely happy life?
All of the life circumstances and issues above (success, relationships, your job, etc.) can be partial contributors (or detractors) of happiness, largely depending on your own personal Definition of Happiness (which is different for everyone). And, if any are not part of that definition for you, it could have absolutely no effect on your happiness, one way or the other (including money). But, regardless of your Definition of Happiness, none of these things are the “end-all-be-all” which alone can create a completely happy life. It is a complicated and multi-faceted issue. The bottom line is that all of them can help increase happiness to some degree – perhaps even to a large degree.
So why are people so intent on singling out money as the thing that “does not buy happiness”? It has certainly become a cliché.
It’s very common to hear people say, for example, “I know a lot of very rich people who are not at all happy and I have seen some of the poorest people in the world, and they are very happy”.
Well I ask, so what? You can say that about any of the above situations. Try it.
It is commonplace for people who are in very good physical health to be miserable. There are many, many people who are in a great relationship, but are not really happy in their lives. Millions of people have great jobs, but are still unhappy and unfulfilled overall. And, studies show that only 25% of people who classify themselves as “religious” consider themselves “very happy”. It goes on and on.
And, just as important, the opposite is also true. Research has also shown that very sick people – even those with terminal illnesses or debilitating injuries – can be very happy and fulfilled. Countless people with boring, unfulfilling jobs are very happy and grateful in their lives. And yes, believe it or not, there are many, many “poor” people who are not at all happy and lots of rich people who are very happy (but nobody talks about that).
In fact, research shows that money does, in fact, “buy” happiness, since people at the poverty level are generally found to be less happy than people who are wealthy. Also, the wealthiest countries in the world are consistently at the top of the list of “the world’s happiest countries” (Norway, for example, is ranked as the #1 happiest country on earth – and they also have the highest per capita income in the world). Is this coincidental?
It goes on. Researchers have even found a specific annual income which seems to relate to a happier life, and that’s $75,000. So that’s proof that money and happiness are at least partly related. And, as income increases, a higher and higher percentage of people consider themselves "very happy", but, as would be expected, it is not a linear relationship. In other words, if you earn $150,000 (twice that $75,000 figure), you wouldn’t necessarily expect to be twice as happy as if you made $75,000 (although it is possible – especially if money, wealth, and a certain income level are of high importance in your Definition of Happiness). Taking it further, if you earn millions, you would not necessarily expect to be many times happier than if you earn $75,000. That’s just common sense. But that’s what everyone seems to assume. And, again, it’s still possible.
The bottom line, to say it again, is that NO ONE THING in life buys, brings, or guarantees true and complete happiness. Money won’t. Relationships won’t. Religion won’t. Nothing will. Like everything else in life, money is just one component to potential happiness, not the only factor to a totally happy life. There are many other factors.
And, the people who single out money as the one issue that “does not buy happiness”, in my opinion, are people who either:
(1) Don’t have much money and probably don’t expect to ever have much money, and are trying to justify their circumstances
(2) Have a limiting belief that somehow money is bad or evil, and creates greed and corruption
(3) Do not have money and/or wealth as part of their personal Definition of Happiness
(4) Are already wealthy and, for other reasons, are not completely happy or just don’t know what it’s like to not have money (or have forgotten what it’s like)
So, what’s the answer? Or, more appropriately, what is the better question to ask?
The question to ask that’s better than “does money buy happiness?” is “how can we lead the happiest possible life?”
And the answer is … “The Happiness Formula”
Yes, breaking happiness down into a “mathematical formula”, here is what “buys” true and complete happiness:
H = (G + DH + C + 3R)/6
This means Happiness (“H”) is equal to the sum of your degree of Gratitude (“G”), plus the components of your personal Definition of Happiness (“DH”), plus how much of your life is focused on Contribution (“C”), plus your level of the “3 R’s of life” (“3R”; which refers to Relationships, Rules, and Regrets), all divided by 6.
An in-depth explanation of this “equation” is outside the scope of this article (you can read about this “happiness formula” by clicking here if you want more detail), but important to the premise of this article about money and its association with happiness is the point that part of our “total” or “overall” happiness in life depends partially on our personal (individual) Definition of Happiness (which is different for everyone).
Here’s the big problem, though:
Firstly, most people have never truly defined happiness for themselves. This is a big issue. Secondly, for those people who have at least thought about what would make them happy, most are wrong. In other words, what most people think will make them happy is not what will really make them happy. It’s very complicated, but also critical to leading the happiest possible life. And, most people just assume that money will make them happier. Some of these people are right (those who have money or wealth as part of their personal Definition of Happiness), but many are wrong (mainly those who don’t have money or wealth as part of that Definition). Yes, it depends primarily on each individual’s Definition of Happiness. Because for those relatively few people who have taken the time and effort to really create their own personal Definition of Happiness, as stated above, money may or may not be part of that definition.
If it is, then money will be more important to overall happiness (although again, not everything – since no one thing is “everything” when it comes to creating happiness). But without a financial component to one’s Definition of Happiness (and many people don’t have it), then it will be less important – but not irrelevant – since research shows that lack of money does lead to unhappiness in most cases. Try it. Give away all your money and see how happy you are.
So once again, I believe the people who feel the need to single out money as a “non-solution” for happiness are focusing on the wrong issue – because, as stated before, there is no one (right) issue to “focus on” that will alone create happiness.
The “right issues”, when evaluating what will and what won’t lead to true happiness, are gratitude, your Definition of Happiness, contribution, and the 3 R’s (relationships, rules, and regrets). That’s it … nothing more and nothing less. And if your Definition of Happiness does not include money as one of the components, then getting lots of money will not make you significantly happier (although it might have some effect) and having little money will not make you less happy (for the most part). If, however, your Definition of Happiness does include money or wealth as a component, then you will not be able to be totally or truly happy without achieving a certain financial level in your life (unless you somehow change your definition, which is not easy).
If you have never created your own personal Definition of Happiness, there is a whole chapter devoted to the process of doing it correctly in the book, BeHappy! You can get it by clicking here. Also, if you want to "be happy at work”, just click here to get a free copy of the e-book, BeHappy! at Work. And, as stated previously, you can click here to read more about “the happiness formula”, which you can use to assess your current happiness level and create a plan to become much happier in your life.
So, in summary, money is just like everything else in life when it comes to its relationship to happiness and, therefore, there is no reason to single it out as the one thing that “doesn’t buy happiness”. Nothing does and everything does. It just depends on you. Money, like work, religion, success, relationships, and peace-of-mind likely plays some role in our ability to be happy. If you have too little of it, you will be less happy than if you have enough. And if you have more than enough money, you may be no happier, a little happier, or a lot happier – depending on its inclusion and position in your Definition of Happiness.
BeHappy! my friends
PS: To get a free gift e-book package from BeHappy101.com, just click here now!!
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