I think everyone has heard the saying “money can’t buy happiness,” but how come magazines and movies make glamorous lifestyles seem so good? How true is this saying? Does money cause unhappiness? This is a topic that economists, psychologists, and scientists have been studying for decades. Studies have shown that yes, people who are struggling to get by are not as happy as those with an abundance of money; however, no one can prove this as a fact.
Saying that money can’t buy happiness is a false positive. Numerous other factors, like where you spend the money or where you obtained the money, can contribute to the correlation between money and happiness. For example, people who receive large incomes but regularly donate to charity have reported to be extremely happy with their lives. Also, if you spend your money on the opportunities to experience new things, you’ll gain a greater gift that can create happiness. In conclusion, saying “money can’t buy happiness” is not true, as long as one is not struggling to make ends meet there is numerous third variables that add up to how happy a person is.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/can-money-buy-happiness-heres-what-science-has-to-say-1415569538
I also think that money can buy happiness. I think that once people get a lot of money and they have freedom to buy what they want. I disagree with the point that just because you have money means that you are happy. I know of people who are very well of but who are not happy at all. I think though the statement “money buys happiness” is true and there is no way to test this accusation.
I strongly believe that this statement varies from person to person. Like you said, when people donate money to charity they report to be happier which is due to them feeling accomplished and proud in themselves for helping others. As well, saying that money buys happiness sounds very superficial but in some situations its true. Not saying that people who don’t have as much money can’t be happy but have you ever seen someone in a bad mood while on a jet-ski? Or after a good ride or roller coaster (not including those who don’t like roller coasters)? Point being, money doesn’t buy happiness, but in some situations it lends itself to creating some sort of happiness, whether it is superficial or not.
I found an article, http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/research-can-money-buy-happiness, which suggests that people are happiest when they spend their money on others. This seems to suggest that money really can buy happiness just not in the selfish way most people view the saying.