Is money necessary for happiness?

Ah, money. The reason we hustle and bustle day in and day out. We all want it, but do we really need it to be happy? This age-old debate has been going on forever, with no clear answer in sight. So let’s take a humorous journey together to explore the wondrous world of wealth and happiness.

What even is happiness anyways?

Before we can even begin to decide whether money is necessary for our joyous state of being, let’s first define what exactly happiness means. Is it feeling content with your life? Having fulfilling relationships? Or simply having a giant block of cheddar cheese all to yourself?

Whatever our individual definitions may be (and trust me ours differ), there are certain factors that experts claim contribute to overall happiness such as:

  • Being surrounded by loved ones
  • Doing activities you enjoy
  • Feeling fulfilled in your career or hobbies
  • Having good mental and physical health
  • Feeling financially stable

Ahh there it is – feeling financially stable. So does this mean money must have some connection with our well-being after all?! Hold up before you get too excited…

Does Ca$h Bring Joy: Explored!

Now let’s delve further into whether indeed coins cheer us up. Some studies suggest that not only does more cash = less stress about daily necessities, but could also literally increase one’s self-reported level of happiness! But hold onto that thought…there are different ways how cash intersects human bliss:

Not having enough $$$ = dis-tressful :confused:

We all know how stressful making ends meet can be when financial burdens grow: recurring bills piling up like dirty plates; back-to-back student loan repayments (); unexpected repairs sky high credit card balances..

But flippen heck – who knew being poor could directly decrease your happiness? Experts suggest that having too little money for basic needs and expenses can lead to anxiety, depression, hopelessness and poor self-esteem. So basically not even just lacking the occasional luxury spa day, but also gasp – proper healthcare!

Having enough is keeeey :nerd_face:

In a perfect world sure we’d all be perfectly content flying around in our personal private planes (cue Beyonce playing loudly), but let’s face it most of us have far more modest dreams namely: just being able to pay the bills on time.

Experts agree that having adequate financial resources means you are less likely to feel stress over daily necessities like food, housing or ongoing debts. Money in this situation plays more of a supporting role rather than the leading lady characterised solely by greediness.

The science on $$$ creating happiness

Okay so which is it – does ca$h create joy or nah? Well textbooks tell us there’s no straightforward answer; some say unique personalities draw different results into defining priorities regarding where they find their happy place (not me I’d honestly trade my collection of glitter-adorned shoes for life-long supplies of cheddar cheese) .

Anywayyyy – one study out of Princeton University found people with higher incomes reported feeling happier and less stressed overall BUT only up until achieving an income level of $75k per year! Then these perks seemed to level off while happiness remained constant regardless if income continued increasing…

So why exactly isn’t Warren Buffet living his best life 24/7??

You see human beings do adapt quickly – we acclimate speedily towards pleasure but grow weary from any discomforts including relative poverty () .Therefore acquiring additional noughts i.e beyond meeting basic requirements doesn’t offer vast accretions in contentment alongside extra digits. Rather scale down those ridiculous aspirations – you may already earn sufficient to outweigh necessity duress and guarantee you’re more satisfied than cash-worshippers boasting overflowing bank accounts.

The Power Dynamic: Cash Vs Contentment

So, we know that lacking money can lead to a tremendous amount of stress in your life – but what happens when you start making big bucks? Money may solve some problems, but it can also bring about its very own set of issues. And let me tell ya folks, these issues ain’t pretty.

All the things money cures… right?

Contrary to popular belief being flush with cash does not automatically heal up EVERY problem in our lives; no matter how much therapy you opt for given the six-figure paycheque coming home each month!

Here are just a few examples of why ‘rich’ people still experience stress:

  • Fear over inheriting true vanilla friends or partners who only want them for dollars
  • Puzzlement over never quite knowing which staff is comfortable genuinely relating versus simply ensuring their employment grade along with other insincere acts this exclusive monetary bubble ushers in…
  • Potential loss-of-purpose i.e. even Oprah Winfrey questions if her wealth compromises ordinary living experiences enough to affect her relevance!

You see… money comes into play regarding lifestyle maintenance rather than giving life meaning… though admittedly those piles do serve as blankets (just kidding ) but lets face it once bills have been paid treats been had holidays taken then what purpose does having thousands upon thousands stuffed under your mattress truly have outside that fuzzy feeling opulence inspires ?

Money doesn’t make meaningful connections

As social creatures we genuinely crave interacting worthwhile humans beyond those maintaining falsely impressed behaviour due to net worth luring nothing more than temporary companionships –aka using again-> losing. Satisfaction derived from connecting expectantly exceeds any material possession owned therefore suggesting money’s relation to human content lies primarily within fulfilling basic needs first before contributing towards pleasure-related luxury purchases…

Still unconvinced? Then let me tell you about the lottery blues.

The tale of a lottery winner

Once upon a time, there was a man named John (privacy given for obvious reasons) who hit it big in the lottery. After winning $3 million dollars, he thought his life had changed forever. But after only two years of living high on the hog with large purchases aplenty and throwing lavish parties that would make ‘The Great Gatsby’ blush – needing nothing appeared at odds – loneliness became more persistent while friends remained suspect which eventually led to depression fueled behaviours leaving him sadder than ever before.

In contrast another individual could have easily won 10 times as much without setting foot into same path because honourable social interactions providing meaningful relationships exceeds required need periods; taking part in charity events and sponsoring those whose work inspires them feeds their soul rather than further stockpiling already bulging bank accounts…

Why Basics Exist: Maslow’s Hierarchy

So if money doesn’t equal happiness… then what does?

Enter Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This pyramid chart attempts to explain all human desires by focusing on five key areas needed for ultimate fulfillment:

  1. Physiological needs
  2. Safety needs
  3. Love/belonging
  4. Esteem needs
  5. Self-actualization

Whaaaat does these buzzwords even mean?! Let’s break it down:

Physiological comforts Ft.Food & Housing

At its most basic level, one must obtain physiological requirements such as sustenance/shelter prior to anything else becoming conceivable… As rational creatures not being fed comfortably nor protecting ourselves from harm cements survival oriented goals prioritized thus chasing monetary aspirations beyond ensuring this immediately vital necessities appears nonsensical right?

Next up >> See “Danger Danger” vibes killed!

Human minds ain’t curating optimal thoughts when under duress! Ensuring basic safety from within generally arises whereby we seek shelter above cold nights spent outdoors. Also this category includes protecting oneself from emotional and physical harm; feeling secure in each aspect of life allows peaceful free flow to proceed (hopefully resulting in opportunities for fulfilling relationships… )

Belonging is the new Black! :woman_shrugging:

Fulfilment does not rely on being someone’s precious protege nor demanding partnership as an assured quality, but rather a sense of belonging i.e mutual care concerns beyond generic civilian status where accepted-ness enables growth and joy.

The “Esteem-Treatment”

Individuals bounce between owning self-respect importance or struggling with imposter syndrome; realistically it’d become difficult maintaining perpetual positive energies upon withering experiences such as emotional hurt brought about via discriminatory acts whether racially motivated sexism etc…

Therefore respecting accomplishments achieved by personhood + ensuring purpose overflow helps saturate good vibes necessitated instantly – money check slightly unimportant…?

Self-actualization: Objectives Being Met

Lastly one will aim towards reaching maximum potential capacity, achieving declared objectives which results in individuals further nurturing highest form of happiness possible… which means no time focusing energy into acquiring goods defining lavish lifestyles if that hinders progress long-term aspirations …folks, let’s remember the art of balance here.

Common misconceptions around Cash & Happiness

OKAY, so what have we learnt so far? Here some commonly held beliefs proving false…

False Claim #1: Money brings infinite pleasure

Most definitely wrong folks!. Though possessing cash offers basic security along with luxury purchases that prolong comfort remembering extra factors are needed satisfy higher orders mentioned previously ensure sustained happiness …

False Claim#2: You can’t be happy whilst broke

Even though steering clear of economic anxiety has proffers significant gains according to Maslow Hierarchy needs basic satisfaction doesn’t directly indicate regular riches determine worthwhile fulfilled lives …far simpler than extravagant lifestyles for many people.

False Claim#3: Happiness is static and cannot evolve over time

That’s ridiculous of course it can! From classic literature works to personal experiences richness in happiness interpreted differently as life continues…we progress, we discover new hobbies we reunite with old friends one’s goals adapt that ultimately alters their sources of contentment potentially introducing a whole range elements to indulge.

What about the gray area?

So far we’ve been focusing on two opposing sides – the poor and the rich. But what about everyday folks like us who are somewhere in between? Is having more money equal to more happiness, or does that same theory apply after reaching an adequate level of financial stability?

The truth is, there isn’t a clear answer here either. It seems something called ‘hedonic adaptation’ (aka our mind shifting easily towards norms) may predict regardless aim/motivation they’ll eventually plateau from bursts happy feelings when initially attaining fatter wallets Nevertheless non-monetary beneficial factors enhancing quality life remain constant focal points determining whether final outcome deemed worthwhile…Agree or not!

Conclusion

To sum up this debate – if you don’t yet know exactly where money lies regarding your priorities then let Maslow Hierarchy chart above be some bedtime reading because its components highlight goal-orientated structure minds require long-term satisfaction indeed marking monetary wealth fairly low down priority list.. Sorry Jeff Bezos ey!

Sure enough being able purchase basic necessities ease survival anxieties along luxury purchases certainly helps reflect easier than those struggling but having purposeful worth beyond material possessions unarguably created on solid ground – no matter how big your bank account balance displays itself 😉

In short, chasing hard currency ain’t always tickets loud screaming joy concerts dance circles… Instead left entirely up-to-individuals preferences targeting fulfilment rather than equating cash success brackets approach yielding smoother rose-tinted outcomes.

Money may not necessarily bring happiness, but neither does being broke. At the end of the day, it’s up to each and every one of us to decide what truly matters in our lives – with or without that green stuff.

Random Posts