Category Archives: “How to Buy Happiness”

Can you buy happiness ?

Posted on by
Reply

In the article “How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, they speak about different ways a person can buy happiness. An example that they used was imagining to wake up with $1 million dollars and being able to spend all on yourself but what were you really gaining out of that? Just because you had all that money and the first thing a person would think to do is spend it on themselves doesn’t necessarily mean that they are happy. What they did was do a little experiment and handing out Starbucks gift cards to people and telling them to share it with another person of just giving their gift to another person and realizing how happy that made them instead of just keeping to themselves and not being happy at all. With this research they showed that you can find happiness by giving a gift to someone or sharing something with a person and sharing an experience with someone rather than alone. You can have all the money in the world but if you’re alone what good does that do for you? Wouldn’t sharing and giving something to a person and seeing them how happy you made them make you happy ?

I agree with this article, just because you may have a lot of money doesn’t mean that you are happy. Helping people and knowing that  you made someone smile and sharing the same experience with someone can make both you and that person happy. You can buy happiness by sharing it with others because it won’t make you happy as an individual if you just do things for yourself.

 

Money, Happiness, and “the American Dream”

Posted on by
1

After reading “How to Buy Happiness: by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norman i came to comprehend their opinion on happiness, money and “the american dream”. The article states “how we use are money may matter as much or more than how much of it we’ve got”. This statement is true, if you think about it, alot of people believe and say money makes you happy or money buys you happiness but in reality it does not. Its more like what we choose to do with the money that’s what makes us happy. The articles says “a growing body of reaserch shows that the mere whiff of money draws out our selfish sides”. This is true in many occasions, many people have betrayed their close friends and family for just a couple of bucks. With just a bit of money coming towards them many people become selfish without noticing. In addition if you notice as soon as one gets paid we want to spoil ourselves with material things. As i read the article i asked my friend what she would do with one million dollars and with no hesitation she replied “move out”. This as addition to evidence from the article shows that when we have money we think about our wants confusing them with what we need, we dont think about what we could do for others as our first priority. My friend like many other people want the “american dream” of buying there own land or house, but we dont care to see that the land or house will only be temprary happiness. The article states “Dozens of studies show that people get more happiness from buying experiences than from buying material things”. The article supports this by saying that these experiences “makes us who we are” and i suppor it by saying that sharing wonderful experiences  that we can later remember is way much better than buying something that can break. As you see the diffrence is alot, material happiness is only temporary while experiences can last a life time. Many people want to live ” the american dream” and buy a house with luxurius things but even the wealthiest man with the ideal house can not be as happy as a regular citezen renting an apartment. The difference is enjoying money or things with others will make you happier than wasting your money on things you would enjoy more yourself.

Can Money Buy Happiness

Posted on by
1

Last week in HUS 1101 we began our “Got Maslow?” list of basic needs. The first was physical needs to survive as a human being. One important component was nourishment for sustaining life. So I ask:  Does having food make one happy (?) Does one need money to obtain food (?) What if one does not have food, nor money (?) Ahhh….

While my thoughts may not exactly follow the article you read in ENG 1101, the concept of money and happiness made me think about the following: If we align money and happiness with basic needs (for well-being) how important is money in obtaining Maslow’s first step of needs (?) Yes, your future clients (aka consumers) can go to a soup kitchen, food pantry, be part of a program that provides meals….or have contact with HUS workers who actually distribute food in public. Alternately, what about those who have to decide whether to pay the rent, electric, medical, etc., versus groceries (?) (BTW, a question mark in parenthesis is a rhetorical question. A question to ponder that does not require an answer by the reader. So, if you are ever writing and use a question mark, be sure to put it in parenthesis-otherwise you are asking the reader/professor to answer your question).

Back to money and happiness. Can one be happy without the money to purchase food (?) If one does not have food, how happy can they be (?) We know infants cry when they are hungry. They usually don’t stop until they are fed. When humans are hungry their survival skills “kick in” and they are on the “hunt” to satisfy their urge. Ever stand in front of the refrigerator and eat to “your heart’s content (?)” This is definitely Maslow in action!

Our goal as HUS workers is to aid consumers to making sure they have the resources. Whether the money to purchase goods is from a paycheck; food stamps; or community based services-funded by the government, grants and donations. So, the moral of this blog is that money can buy food, and food can make one’s tummy happy. At least temporarily.

So what does my blog make you think about?

Prof. Justine Pawlukewicz (Pav-lou-kev-itch)

Can money really buy happiness??

Posted on by
Reply

In”how to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton it is said that money is always portrayed in a way that may seem that it can buy happiness. When in reality it can’t. In the second paragraph of the story it explains “money dress out out selfish sides”. In some cases is true cause most people only think of themselves and how the money can Benoit them not how they can help people. But on the other hand very few people help others mainly their family with their financial issues. Money can actually make you sad, because all the money in the world doesn’t matter if you have no one to share it with. Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton explain that although you may go from a small house to a nicer one doesn’t mean that your happiness will increase in anyway

Your life might get easier and nicer but your happiness will stay the same and maybe even lesson. You can live in the smallest apartment ever and still be more happier then someone who is rich and living in a lavish house. So the saying money buys you happiness isn’t true it may make you happy at first cause your able to buy everything you want but in the end you will still be you and still comes from the same places and still have the same friends and family so with or without money you can always be happy!

Money and happiness how it relates

Posted on by
1

In the article “How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, the idea that money is not that important as people make it out to be is introduced. In paragraph 3, they mention studies that prove that material things fail to produce long lasting happiness. This is proven in the next paragraph with the study involving the American dream and buying a home. One would think that owning their own property , raises their levels of happiness extremely , but this is a common misconception and wrong. These peoples happiness are not that different from those who rent. Elizabeth and Michael stress the idea of experiences. They believe it is more important to experience certain events rather than buying certain materials. In the seventh paragraph Elizabeth and Michael explain that experiences are more important than having a lot of money because it brings us closer to others. It makes you feel good to be able to share or spend time with someone , you don’t experience this so much when you go shopping for yourself, and only buy things for yourself. And finally in the last paragraph , an experiment was mentioned, involving 3 options, one was giving away their gift card, another was spending the gift card on themselves, and the third was buying someone else something and spending time with that person. And the results were that the third option made more people happier. Proving that money is not important as people make it out to be, rather the experiences that are made with what you got are more important and cause you to be happier.
I personally believe that money doesn’t buy happiness. I agree with what Elizabeth and Michael stated in the article. When large sums of money are offered or given to us, most of us believe we should take it and run. Spend it on ourselves, we believe we’ll be happy. It’s our first thought be selfish. But I believe it’s better to have memories to later share, to remember. Experiences are everything. If I have something that can help someone else why wouldn’t I? This is to say if I have an extra 5 dollars and my friend needs it, or somebody on the train performs a song with their son and asks for a donation I’m going to give up that 5 dollars, this is because it makes me feel good about myself .Money can’t buy happiness, but sometimes what you do with what you do got gives more of a happiness feeling. You don’t need to have a big house, fancy cars, a whole bunch of money in your wallet to feel happy. Be satisfied with your economic status try not to put so much stress on it and you’ll see how you change. You’ll focus on what really makes you happy, making memories, getting experiences, your interactions with others, this is where true happiness lies.

Can You Buy Your Way To Happiness

Posted on by
Reply

In  the article,” How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton explains that the way you spend your money can have a huge impact on your happiness bad or good. Learning how to manage what you spend your money on and who can overall improve your happiness.If an individual were to find one million dollars they would instantly think of themselves. Human beings can be very selfish. People tend to think if they buy what they’ve been longing for, for example a home or a shirt that’s in trend that would make them happy but in reality it only satisfy’s for the moment.Just because you have unlimited money doesn’t mean you’ll be happy it will satisfy you only for the moment , rather than putting your money towards making a difference in someone’s life that will also make a difference in you as a person as well (beneficial to your well-being). Experiences can increase your happiness doing things with others traveling, buying things for someone studies show that spending a few dollars for another individual provides more happiness. Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Michael conduct an experiment with Starbucks gift cards to prove it  three different group of people  one group brought for themselves another gave away their gift cards and the last group brought for someone else. The group that ended up happier was the group who treated someone to  Starbucks.  Elizabeth and Michael Found a way to bring happiness out of money.  The environment you surround yourself in and how you conduct your life can improve your overall happiness.

Is Happiness A Rich Or Poor Trait?

Posted on by
1

In the article “How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, it analyzes if a person can truly obtain happiness with a million dollars all to him or herself. The first thing on many people’s minds traditionally, is to “do them” meaning spend money on them. However, research conducted by a generation of behavioral scientists conclude that the acquisition of material items is a temporary conduit to happiness. The true conduit to happiness is doing for others.

Researchers made a case in point in the study of buying a home, which, according to them, is the American dream. However, it yields basic satisfaction and even less happiness because it becomes hollow when there’s no one to share that with. It’s more about experiencing life according to the authors and I tend to agree with them. Selflessness is paramount in the pursuit of happiness. I tend to be a very cynical person, however as I’ve matured, I began to appreciate the wealthy’s philanthropic nature. Besides it being advantageous to tax breaks, it actually is quite impacting on the receiver of one’s generosity. There have been studies researching whether a person’s generosity actually results in a person’s happiness, conducted throughout various countries such as Canada, US, Uganda and South Africa. Needless to say, it was discovered that there is a correlation between doing for others and being happy.

The overall conclusion, per the “Starbucks” study where gift cards were distributed among three different groups of people. 1st group: Instructed to use the gift card for themselves, 2nd group: Instructed to pass their card along to someone else, and the 3rd group: Instructed to use the gift card to buy something for someone else. The only requirement: Hang out with the person you’re buying something for. It was concluded that the happiest and most satisfied were people hanging out together.

It takes next to no money to indulge in true happiness. For me it’s nothing more than hanging out in the park with my sons. Throwing the football, buying pizza for my sons and their friends, taking my sons and their cohorts to school, etc. You see? That takes next to no money, and I get immense pleasure from it. It keeps me young and totally in the loop.

Can money buy true happiness?

Posted on by
Reply

In the article, “How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, it states how money relates to our happiness. I think we all can agree and say money can bring us happiness. I know every time I receive my check a big smile comes on my face. I also know that happiness does not last for long. It will last for that moment but later on it goes away. This article tells us managing our money is a good way to increase our happiness. In this article it states how people can get more happiness from buying experiences rather than buying material things. This means to get out there and experience things such as trips, concerts, or just having fun with friends can bring so much more happiness rather than going and buying yourself a new pair of shoes. Spending your money on others rather than yourself can bring one happiness. I do agree with this because when I buy someone something and to see how much they loved it makes me happy. You made someone else happy other than yourself. Basically this article is saying to manage your money better so you are able to go out and experience life not only for yourself, but also others and you will be a happier person.

How Happy Can You Really Become?

Posted on by
Reply

As stated in this article “How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton they state how happy can you really be if you are a loner or a giver. They state that your happiness can’t be bought by material goods but for lasting happiness giving to others can make you a happier person. To give to others your experiencing new things and are also getting closer to people. Don’t always enjoy things on your own, to make yourself feel happier you spend on others. They stated “Decades of research point to the importance of social contact for improving mental and physical health.” They proved this by doing an experiment which they handed out Starbucks gift cards and that group who had to buy something for someone else was happier. They shared that experience with the person.

I agree with this article because sometimes you need to do things for others to make yourself feel happy that you did something for someone else. I myself know that if I want to go somewhere I ask my brother to tag along because I don’t want to be by myself. Having things to do with others can bring up your self-esteem and build a more positive attitude for yourself and towards other individuals.

Can money buy happiness ??

Posted on by
Reply

In the article ” How to buy Happiness ” ,  written by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton , explains how now in days if people were to find a million dollars most people would quickly think of themselves. In other words  having access to this amount of money can bring the worst out in people, it would make them selfish without that individual even having any remorse. Studies have been conducted that support this statement for example ,behavioral scientist have showned that material goods do not give people happiness . Also most americans continue to see buying a house is the american dream in other words the happiest thing one can do in their lives .But research shows that in actuality it brings little happiness .

This article reminds me of the song “price tag” by Jessie j , in the song it describes money isn’t everything its about love . Just like the article its states people have in increase in happiness with buying experience than experiential purchasing . Which I totally agree with because in my experience I have more happiness making memories by the experiences that I have with those I love than to go ,say shopping, all by my lonesome self.