Can Money Buy Happiness?

How often do you wake up worrying about money? How often do your loved ones worry about money? How often have you heard, “if only I had the money?” How often do you feel that more money would solve all your problems and would make you happy? What if I told you that you were right, to an extent. Author’s across the discussion of happiness have tried to answer the simply stated, yet complicatedly answered question, “Can Money Buy Happiness?” Authors Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diner attempt to answer the question in their piece of the same name, by explaining that “Yes, money buys happiness…but it must be considered in the bigger picture of what makes people genuinely rich” (Biswas-Diener 160-161). This idea that fiscal wealth is a path to happiness

As Begley “When people buy something they try to pay as little for it as they can” (p. 1). Therefore, I agree that money sometimes can bring happiness while there are a lot of things which people cannot have it with money. The author states that people enjoy when they get something on sale, and they feel happy when they spend less money for. Also, the author mentions how money can affect people who are poor and give them happiness; however, rich people gather money to increase their wealth. Sharon also writes about the survey, which how people consider their happiness.

Growing up in a family where both my parents came from poor immigrant backgrounds always made financial success a priority and when there was no need to be frugal, my parents did seem happier. But did money buy my parents’ happiness or did money lead to their happiness? Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener attempt to answer that question in their excerpt “Can Money Buy Happiness,” where they claim that “[m]oney can be a help in attaining psychological wealth, but it should be considered in the bigger picture of what makes people general genuinely rich (Biswas-Diener 161). Although not explicitly defined by Diener and Biswas-Diener, “psychological wealth” is the overall measure of happiness, beyond just fiscal affluence, including positive ties with other individuals and joyful temperaments (Biswas-Diener 168). By extending Biswas-Diener and Diener’s idea of “psychological wealth” to include the perception of what wealth is and what wealth consists of beyond monetary success, such as achievements or fulfillment, there exist a copious number of ways to view wealth. One can be rich in more than finances and happiness is dependent upon the perception of wealth due to money being one of several paths, including deliberate effort and being positive, to “psychological wealth” which leads to happiness.

Throughout the modern era, society’s views on money’s effect on a person’s emotions have drastically changed. Many people believed that the more money a person has, the more satisfied he or she will be. However, due to recent conclusions made by writers and case studies, money has proven to not be responsible for a person’s contentment. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, Daisy and Gatsby’s wealth ultimately shows the reader that money does not equal happiness.

Michael Carroll made the textbook mistake of all lottery winners: spending it all in one place. He won nearly $16 million in 2002, but instead of investing it, he bought drugs and spent even more money on prostitutes. By 2003, he was smoking approximately $3,000 worth of crack...every day! He spent all his money and now lives on unemployment benefits.

Andrew Blackman (2014) writes about Can Money Buy You Happiness? He explains how to buy some value of things which can make you happy. Everyone should learn about that money is important, but people cannot buy everything with money. Two important points from the article that I would like to discuss are Blackman’s statements about experience and money, time and money. For me, they are connected to each other.

Many people become dependent on the fact that they can’t live a happy life without the influence of the money in their lives. In the article Money Really Can Buy Happiness which is referring to people's

“Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants.”

Happiness is known to be a state of mind that causes immense joy or pleasure. Happiness is known as satisfaction, joy, pleasure, or even delight. Happiness is not money. The world has the current conviction that money can buy happiness. Digging up America’s deepest roots, money has always been “the root” of happiness. Even the American dream has a base foundation that money is the key to everything. American authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Lorraine Hansberry wrote of characters that have the false mind set of happiness. Because characters in Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun wrongly believe that money equates to happiness, the belief that money can create happiness is still prevalent in today's society.

In this aritcle, Begley’s overall point and emphasis dictates that she believes that money can’t buy happiness unless if you are going from a poor economic standpoint to a middle class standpoint. Begley points out that moving from a low class to a middle class comes with plenty of benefits, but once that threshold is surpassed, the overall continuity of a persons happiness tends to stagnate. A point that stood out to me is the quote from Daniel Gilbert, which states “ Americans who earn $50,000 per year are much happier than those who earn $10,000 per year, but Americans who earn $5 million per year are not much happier than those who earn $100,00 per year.” The reason I believe in this so much is due to the fact that I have personally seen

How many times in your life have you been asked what you would do if you won the lottery? Would you say “I would start by being exploited by manipulative friends and family, then maybe go into an alcoholic spiral, and then ultimately die and untimely and tragic death”? No, you would list the things that you imagine you’d like to do: travel, buy homes in warm places and maybe go back to school. However, let’s not forget Mack Metcalf, who won a $65 million lottery, was bilked out of millions by a former girlfriend while drunk, was recognized by a social worker and chased for child support, grew exceedingly paranoid of those around him, spent most of his time drinking and died at the age of 45, only three years after he had won the jackpot. Metcalf undoubtedly bought the lottery ticket in hopes of happiness and more time to do what he wanted, so how did something like this happen?

What is the first thing that comes up into your mind when you read this quote? The majority of rich people in the world always think of this quote in their minds. Money is not the first reason to make every single person happy in this world. Money might buy all the materialistic wants in this world but not happiness. “The Barbie-Q” by Sandra Cisneros clearly emphasizes that it’s not always money that brings happiness into our lives. The story is about a girl who comes from a poor family, and she always plays with her cheap Barbie doll with her friend. The financial condition of her family does not really bother her as long as she has her Barbie with her. The story is mainly about a little girl’s perspective about her life and the pleasant

Is it possible for money to buy happiness in life? Is work worth every second that you cannot spend with family? People in today’s world must either make a choice between the two, money or happiness, or find a happy medium. Should lives be wasted on material items when there is much more to life, such as faith, love, family, and health?

It is often said that money cannot buy happiness. Money can buy the best of food and drink. It can buy land and with enough it can even buy social status. The availability of monetary funds also ensures that bills will be paid and that in and of itself reduces stress. Knowing all of this, the old adage, money cannot buy happiness becomes questionable. Can money truly not buy happiness? Anton Chekov’s Yermolái Lopákhin and Leo Tolstoy’s Ivan Ilyich are two fictional characters that explore men of money and status. Each story and character are unique in various ways, but they have glaring similarities. Ultimately, Lopákhin and Ilyich depict happiness as relative to the individual and the result of their own actions.

How would be your life if you were a millionaire? I am completely sure; you would live in a deluxe villa in the center of the city. You won’t only be disquieted for your safety needs; but also, be able to meet your luxury needs. You would spend your holidays in best places in the world. If you have lots of money, you would provide the best facilities for your family and try to make a pleasant life for them. Money can solve almost all of our problems and help us for having a happy life. With money, we can live in a deluxe house, drive a brand new car, and have a prepossessing life. Although some people believe money doesn’t bring happiness, I believe it does.