Money doesn’t bring happiness?

It would seem that everything is logical: happiness depends entirely on the amount of money. Even those who deny it in words, actually behave quite differently. We say «a lot of money» — we understand «to have and do what you want.» Dreaming of your own home? He is yours. Do you want a new car? Get the keys. Dreaming of enjoying your favorite activities? Hold your racket, court around the corner, next to the pool.

But here’s the mystery: for some reason, sociologists do not find a strong connection between the concepts of «being happy» and «having a lot of money.» Some even believe that it does not exist at all. Indeed, money has very little to do with happiness. What is even more amazing is that at some point we all understand this, but we continue to work for money that we objectively do not need.

Why can’t money make us happier?

1. Money is a relative category

It turns out that we don’t really care about the actual level of income if we earn more than the people we know. Unfortunately, as our earnings rise, more and more often someone richer than us appears in our environment. And many are upset that the advantage is not on their side.

2. Wealth does not make us happy.

Even such large acquisitions as houses and cars bring only short-term pleasure. Alas, the desire for material values ​​is growing almost faster than wages. It follows that people who own luxury goods are not in the least happier than others. Moreover, it is proved that the thirst for consumption takes away the ability to enjoy life.

3. Getting rich doesn’t mean enjoying life.

Those who earn a lot have no time to have fun. Their time is taken up by work that causes stress and nervous tension. As a rule, this happens under the influence of the “illusion of focus”. Thinking about how much they will be paid, people often imagine how they will spend this money on a carefree vacation. In reality, in order to increase their income, they spend more and more time on work, and even on commuting back and forth.

What is the «Illusion of Focus»

A reasonable question arises: why do psychological calculations do not fit with reality? If we assume that money does not bring happiness, most should have been convinced of this long ago. So why do we keep chasing hard cash as if our lives depended on it?

Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman put forward the idea that people still believe that money makes them happier because they achieve tangible success in the pursuit of it. This includes a coveted promotion or the ability to afford a big house — that is, everything that can be publicly declared: «I did well, look what I have achieved!»

Thus, when people wonder if money brings happiness, people immediately think of a promotion and a big house. Therefore, these achievements will make them happy. In fact, money and status bring satisfaction, but not happiness. Before you laugh at this conclusion, think about what is more important to you: to be satisfied or happy?

Where did the statement that happiness does not depend on the amount of money come from? Psychologists, as usual, have an ace up their sleeve. This trump card is called the snapshot method. Sociological surveys about happiness are a very common practice. But it turns out that most of them are unreliable, because instead of the level of happiness, the level of satisfaction is erroneously assessed. Therefore, experts began to interview people several times a day to find out how they feel at specific moments, and take into account these answers.

One such study involved 374 employees in various positions in 10 different companies. Throughout the workday, they were asked every 25 minutes how happy they were. The correlation between happiness and income was so weak that it could not be considered statistically significant. Moreover, managers with high salaries were more likely to experience negative emotions and nervous excitement. Similar observations have been made in other studies on the same topic.

Therefore, we believe that happiness is in money, although in fact this is not so, because we succumb to the illusion of focus. Let’s take a closer look. Many are aware that the higher the position, the more stress, and most likely are fully aware that it will not make them happier, but they still strive to find a prestigious high-paying job. Why?

Is our destiny the eternal pursuit of money?

Sociology professor Barry Schwartz tried to find an explanation for the fact that people get hung up on money and forget what makes them truly happy. We attach too much importance to work and social status. Therefore, sadly, we see no alternatives. Everyone knows that it all comes down to money, and to say otherwise is like declaring oneself a naive simpleton.

Of course, one can despise material well-being and be above acquisitiveness, but everyone around screams that this is stupid. Television, newspapers, social networks, other people make us go and make money. The meaning of these messages is to displace thoughts that we would have a better life in a different way.

There are alternatives, but where do you get role models? There are few such examples. Where can you find confirmation that it is perfectly normal not to break into a cake over money?

About money and happiness in a nutshell

So here we are: money cannot provide lasting happiness. However, day by day we are taught that they should be valued and try to multiply. As good members of society, we follow the rules.

Money and status can only provide a sense of satisfaction. By giving in to the illusion of focus, we convince ourselves that it equates to happiness. Alas, this is self-deception. Even if we have everything, one way or another there is a feeling that something is missing, but we can’t catch what exactly.

But it’s simple: we want to be happy. Here and now. Think about what you need for this?

About the Author: Jeremy Dean, PhD, is the author of Kill the Habit, Make the Habit.