Can money buy happiness?

I think we need Spie in here, he'll tell us if it does or not :p... although taking delivery of a 599 on Thursday I'm sure the answer will be a resounding yes

(Oh and I do think it can make you happy)
 
N9ne said:
Seems like you had a major endogeneity problem in your research too.
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Hmmm, yes, long words = win.

We're moving more and more towards a society where consumerism is the religion and television the church, with meaningless celebrities as the messiahs. Is this the cause of our modern social ills? Where the things people hold above are those that ultimately leave them feeling shallow and confused? I don't know, but it's certainly food for thought.

Affluenza by Oliver James is a good book.

As well as discussing my main point, it also suggests that religious people are happier than most people; because the presence of religion fills the 'fulfillment' gap in their lives. Whether this is true or not I'm not sure, but it certainly makes sense. Those who look inside for fulfillment are happier than those who look outside? I can see his point....and I'm not religious in the slightest.

Unfortunately, that opens a whole new can of worms...:D
 
Im perfectly happy with where I am right now. Got a great family, enjoy my job, good friends, dating a nice girl and I saved hard to buy my realistic dream car (yes I know its no Ferrari :o).

I wouldn't accept any amount of money in exchange for those things.
 
People who talk about lack of money being a barrier, but not the be all and end all are bang on.

I suppose have always had a fair bit of money (well, enough that it has never been an issue), but i have been through phases earlier in life where i was down-right depressed, due to family, women, other area's in which money has no impact. I had everything (materially) i could possibly want and more, it didn't help one bit.

Now if i look at things the things i really care about money has nothing to do with, but i certainly wouldn't be able to make the most of them without it.

The answer is therefore no.
 
"andy" said:
the items i bought with the money would bring the happyness
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No they would not.

Scenario A:
You have a large country house, gated, with a 599 sitting outside. You have no friends, no-one in your phone book other than work associates, who do not like you particularly and would not want to associate with you in free time. You sit there all alone on a friday night watching SkyHD on a 10' Projection screen, feeling cabin feeverish, thinking maybe you could take the 599 for an anonymous drive round the block and back to your empty house again.

Scenario B:
You have a 3 bed semi in an average street shared with your other half whom you are very much in love with. You dont have much in the bank, but you have enough for a stack of beers and you have a good few mates coming over this evening, with perhaps their other halves. You all plan to have a damn good laugh, and perhaps pop out to a bar for some drinks later on.

I know which i would rather as a long term situation, assuming that in scenario A you have no chance of ever turning it around.
 
It's an old saying (can't remember who said it):
"Money doesn't buy you happiness, but it buys you a better class of unhappiness."

Sounds like Oscar Wilde, or maybe even Mae West - but prolly older than either!

For 200 million though - I'd be more than willing to test the theory :)
 
Mr^B said:
If you want to ignore all the research ever done on human happiness, go right ahead...but what REALLY makes people happy and motivated isn't goods and services, it's self-actualisation, being the best you possibly can be at everything you possibly can do. And money cannot, categorically, buy that.
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Ok, firstly, Maslow is a theory.. Secondly, working isnt the only activity which can make you feel proud of something.. Obviously life might become a bit boring if you didnt work, but with £100 mil, id just go out and entertain myself for the day.

Morba said:
no, it would be like a drug.
if you are a good happy person, it will be good.
if you are an unhappy person, then it will be bad.
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but if you are an unhappy person because of debt, then youd be happier.. If you are unhappy because you are single and cant get a girl, then you can treat them to a expensive romantic meal and boat ride..

Money = happiness

Ripper said:
The only thing that did the trick was going out with some old mates recently and having one of the best nights i've had in years. It made me realise the important things in life.

Maybe not having money sucks, but there are far more important and fulfilling things in life that money can't buy.
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you couldnt go out with no money
 
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Jez said:
No they would not.

Scenario A:
You have a large country house, gated, with a 599 sitting outside. You have no friends, no-one in your phone book other than work associates, who do not like you particularly and would not want to associate with you in free time. You sit there all alone on a friday night watching SkyHD on a 10' Projection screen, feeling cabin feeverish, thinking maybe you could take the 599 for an anonymous drive round the block and back to your empty house again.

Scenario B:
You have a 3 bed semi in an average street shared with your other half whom you are very much in love with. You dont have much in the bank, but you have enough for a stack of beers and you have a good few mates coming over this evening, with perhaps their other halves. You all plan to have a damn good laugh, and perhaps pop out to a bar for some drinks later on.

I know which i would rather as a long term situation, assuming that in scenario A you have no chance of ever turning it around.
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Ok.. New scenarios:

Scenario A:
You have a small country house, gated, with a Metro sitting outside. You have many friends, no-one in your phone book other than work associates, who do not like you particularly and would not want to associate with you in free time. You sit there all alone on a friday night watching freeview on a 5' portable tv, feeling cabin feeverish, thinking maybe you could take the Metro for a trip to the pub to down your sorrows.

Scenario B:
You have a mansion in a street full of mansions (lol) shared with your other half whom you are very much in love with. Youve got £10 million in the bank, and you have enough for a stack of beers, Champagne, Wine for the ladies, Takeaways for all, and you have a good few mates coming over this evening, with perhaps their other halves. You all plan to have a damn good laugh, and perhaps pop out to a bar for some drinks later on.

Scenario B in both.. id rather have my one and im pretty sure so would you :)
 
Money only buys you opportunities to be happy, ie money may enhance your lifestyle and desirablity to other people but it's what you make of it.

I'd rather be penniless and happy than rich and sad. Money and wealth mean little to me.
 
reflux said:
As has been discussed already several times - love, friendship - self actualisation. The things that money can't buy :)
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Love dies out, couples split up, friends lose contact, and yes, for some people money can buy those things.

Tummy said:
I know a few people who are exceptionally well off, and miserable, but I also know a couple of people who have nothing but couldn't be happier.
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And conversely there are people who are exceptionally well off and happy and people who have nothing and miserable.

Happiness is different for everyone, to state that money or anything for that matter cannot bring happiness is just blinkered. Some people need to have a look at the world and stop watching so many movies.
 
reflux said:
I looked into this as part of my dissertation last year and the answer was a resounding no. Instead of making people happier it often makes them less happy, because they focus their energies in gaining fulfillment from material goods and not looking for the truly worthwhile things in life - love, friendship etc.

I also found a study that stated a wage over £25,000 doesn't make the average person any happier, because that amount of money is enough to satisfy their basic needs with room for life's little indulgences now and then.
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Thats rubbish, having 200 million means you get the best of everything, its knowing how to spend it and how to get the best out of life.
 
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