Happiness Archive #2: summary/response to “How to buy Happiness”

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Arlene

The importance of how we use our money can contribute to our happiness opposed to how much of it we have. In the article the author starts by introducing the idea of discovering a $1 million under our mattress, and the contemplation on what would be done with the money. The mere fact that the first thing that would come to mind would be ” what that money can do for US?” is a sign that money can bring out the selfish side. Thinking about all the material things to purchase often fails to give us complete satisfaction, “HAPPINESS”. Wherein changing how we spend the money can leave a more lasting affect of happiness. Research shows that “homeowners were no happier than renters on average”. Before reading this article, this would have been something I’d disagree with, but the points shown has given me a new perspective.

We spend most of our time working so hard to live “comfortably” or “lavishly” that we in fact forget to actually “LIVE”. Saving up with no social life isn’t such a good idea because there is an importance of social contact for improving our well being. Studies also show that there is more happiness in the experience than in the material things. the value of experience tends to grow with our memories of them. Experiences come with more benefit because, more than likely we tend to do them with others. Connecting both the experience with the socializing wherein measuring to a more fulfillment of happiness.

Another way is in fact doing for others. Experiments show that doing for others can also result in your own happiness. Actually combining the experience and giving can increase happiness. The experiment with the gift cards showed that people were more happy with the idea of giving and partaking at the same time, which made it a shared experience. So switching spending to the experience can leave a longer lasting valued affect!!!

Can you buy happiness?

Posted on September 8, 2014 by TinikaW

Many people ask the question can money give you happiness? Well, according to the article “How to Buy Happiness” written by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton studies show that money does not make u any happier. They actually realized that having a great amount of money actually makes you think a little bit more about yourself. They saw that what makes you happy are what you experience in life. For example people gain happiness from what they do more than from what they have. They also proved that spending money on others makes people happy. Elizabeth and Michael experimented this conclusion by handing out Starbucks gift cards. The people who treated someone else and shared it came out to be the happiest. By combining giving and experiences It creates “the perfect happiness intervention”.

I absolutely agree with this article. Both authors studies people who moved from a smaller space to a large space and only found one thing. They found that the only thing that changed was the difference in size. It did not make them any more happier. Personally I believe that happiness comes from you. Having valuables and a lot of money or even fame does nothing but give you more attention. Sometimes all it does is keep you stagnant and keeps u feeling the same as before. Things that you do, places that you go and the people that surrounds you is what creates your own happiness.

How Much Money Do You Actually Need To Be Happy?

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Brandon Richardson

In the article “How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn & Michael Norton, It speaks about how people spend there money and how it can effect how happy they are on a daily basis. It also speaks how when people get a large amount of money they spend it on things that are used for temporary happiness. Then how you spend your money is also something that is rather vital to your happiness. It also shows that materialistic things according to science don’t have a everlasting eternal happiness feel to the person who brought the materials. Some people would rather spend there money in different types of ways and occasions in order for example put down payments on a new house rather than just hanging out with your friends and spending money on various things while you are out with your friends. They also suggest and believe that spending your money on people who are lest fortunate than you is a better way to feed somebody else’s happiness rather than yours. Also it states that spending money on experiences on trips rather than materials are better ways to spend money. Basically the people in this article have a belief and understanding that spending money on others is more of a better feeling towards both your happiness and the person your treating than spending it on yourself.

I firstly believe some of what is said in this article is very true but however false on the other hand. Having money is something that should be kept sincere to you. I say this because mostly a lot of people spend money on countless things that don’t matter to much now a days and won’t long term benefit them. For example, some people would think that putting $300 on sneakers for their style is more beneficial to them rather than putting $300 towards a phone or even school supplies or better yet a down payment on a house for the future or in their bank account. People think different and have different intentions so happiness may cover all different types of aspects of a person. When having money that may equal to greed for some people. Greed is something that destroys a person in my opinion because then money ruins their character. But yet it makes their happiness. I think when you buy materialistic things it is like paying for temporary happiness. Will that $400 phone you have or $300 clothing or sneakers be with you when your older ? Something’s don’t indeed last like people assume it to be. I also believe that some people are selfish and believe on spending money on themselves rather than just giving back to others. That brings me back to greed destroying a persons character. It may be their happiness but it also may destroy who they are even though money makes them happy. While some others would love to give back to the people less fortunate or people they love because it gives them a better feeling seeing and making others happy, makes them happy as well.

Money Cant buy you Happiness

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Dulce Tepi

Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton explain how the quality of our lives matter more than the quantity of things we have. In an article from the Los Angeles Times, How to buy happiness. Dunn and Norton start of by asking a simple question that has a million answers, what would you do if you found $1 million ? Everyone , at some point in their life, has wished for that amount of money. But out of all of us who would actually do something selfless and spend it on someone else? The first few items on our lists are something for ourselves. Its possible that our fifth item is for someone else. But even if you were selfless would those purchases create memories for a life time or would they be used for a few hours of pleasure ? Dunn and Norton even use most peoples first thought, to buy a house, as a bad example of spending your newfound wealth. They say that although “…most Americans continue to see as a central part of the American dream” buying a house isn’t “.. a sensible investment”. They’ve came to the conclusion, with the help of generations of research, that “how we use our money may matter as much or more than how much of it we’ve got”. Meaning that it doesn’t always matter how much money you have if you don’t have the proper way to spend it towards your happiness. Money can’t buy happiness.

in my opinion Dunn and Norton have the right idea about how money affects happiness. for example you could be the richest person in the world but if you don’t have anyone to share this lavish life with what’s the point of it all? Renting out Disney Land for the day sound like an ideal day but running around and riding all of the rides alone, is nowhere near as much fun as having your closest friends come along and enjoy the day that you can remember for the rest of your lives. As Dunn and Norton explain ” we tend to watch our new televisions alone on the couch, but we rarely head to a wonderful restaurant or jet off to Thailand solo.”

In the experiment that was conducted at a university campus they proved that even with the simplest of gestures, buying someone a cup of coffee, you are defiantly happier than enjoying a cup on your own. On many occasions I’ve brought someone a cup of coffee and hung out in Starbucks for hours just talking. And I’m absolutely sure I’m not the only one who has done so. When it comes to the example they gave , about buying a home, I don’t completely agree. Yes, buying a home may take some a life time but in the long run you have something your family members can also enjoy or even have to fall back on. I don’t agree that you have to pass on that drink after a long day or that nice dinner once in a while. You should be able to have everything with moderation. Compromising on your spending shouldn’t have to interfere with your overall happiness.

Although making changes to your list can be difficult, with the help of this article, the outcome can be even more pleasurable than your original list if you’re even just a little less selfish. Through research and experiments Dunn and Norton have made an appealing case that “.. you can make yourself happier today.” just by switching to buying experiences rather than material things that only benefit yourself.

Life experiences vs. Material things

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Jocelyn Romero

According to the article “How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, a person can be more happy depending on how they spend their money and not how much they have. The authors start by asking a question whether what would a person do with a million dollars. Followed by this, they state that research shows that the first response people think to this question are about satisfying their wants with material objects. Moreover, the authors continue to explain that it’s been proven scientifically that buying material things will not guarantee your happiness. According to the authors’ ongoing research, they guarantee that one can be happier by sharing experiences with their relatives or loved ones. Doing some activities such as trips, special meals and concerts can make an individual much happier than buying material things. This is proven by the authors’ experiment where they gave away Starbucks gift cards in a university campus. There were three experimental groups; people who bought something for themselves, people who gave away their gift cards, and people who used the gift card to buy something for someone else and shared the moment with them. The conclusion of this experiment was that the third group reported to be happier than the others. The authors conclude the article by restating that people can be happy spending their money wisely on experiences rather than the ultimate house of their dreams.

I completely agree with the authors’ opinion. It is better to spend money on experiences that we will remember the rest of our lives, rather than material things that might only last for a few years. I am actually glad there is research to prove this thesis. I think we should spread more awareness in our communities, about how we are defining the concept of happiness. Hence, now in these days we have become more dependent on material things for our happiness; such as having a cellphone, clothes of the season, and so on.

“How to buy happiness”

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Ivyz Fuentes

According to the Los Angeles Times article, “How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Micheal Norton, our happiness can increase depending on how we spend our money. The article began by making us readers think on what would we do if we woke up the following day finding one million dollars under our mattress and asking us what would we do with it. Many people start thinking about buying a new home, cars and other material items that they believe will make them happy or bring them happiness, however in reality materialistic things in addition to thinking about yourself will make you happy temporarily. While spending your money on making memories and on others to make them happy makes you satisfied overall, and what does satisfaction bring you? Happiness of course! One example that supports this is an experiment that was done on a college campus. They gave the students Starbucks gift cards in which they were split among three groups: one group of students were told to use the gift card on themselves, another group was told to pass their gift card to someone else, and the last group was told to use the gift card to buy something for someone else while hanging out with that person at a Starbucks. Results were that those who treated someone else at Starbucks were happiest out of everyone. The authors had a good point with this article stating that spending even just a few dollars on someone else provides more happiness than using cash to treat yourself because I completely agree. I feel that buying memories has a bigger impact on your happiness and that the littlest thing can be the biggest in most cases.

So I asked myself, “What would I do if I found one million dollars under my mattress” and the first thing that popped in my mind was buying myself certain things, but then I looked at the bigger picture and how far would I get with that and how would it impact in my life and my mind automatically changed. I would much rather not have much, spend that on others around me so that I can see their joy cause in all reality there’s nothing better then making others happy.

How much is happiness?

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Mirna

In this day and age money is displayed and worshiped immensely. Many believe that with money you have everything. When in reality, what you make of your wealth is what you make of yourself.

In the article, “How to buy happiness” by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, money, generosity and experiences are juggled to see which can have the ultimate outcome of happiness. They question what would one do if they were to wake up with one million dollars to their name. Due to research they share that when people have new found wealth the first thing they think about is themselves. Of course all sorts of material things such as clothes, shoes, bags, gadgets etc. come into people’s minds that they may not have been able to afford before. After thinking about all the nice luxurious things you can now obtain it’s hard to think that happiness doesn’t have to be expensive if it even costs anything at all. In the article they state, “studies by a generation of behavioral scientists show that material goods often fail to deliver lasting happiness.” In reality a lot of material things that are believed to bring happiness, don’t. One of the examples in the article is a family who moved because they didn’t like their old home. Years later when asked about their current state,they reported that they were living comfortably but their overall happiness hadn’t changed. Which further proves that happiness cannot be based on objects. Instead why not use the money in a way that someone else besides yourself can benefit? Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton believe that both sharing with others and experiences create happiness. An experiment is tried out on a campus when the question of, what would happen when you combine experiences and generosity. The students were given Starbucks gift cards, some were told to go buy something for themselves, another group was told to buy something for themselves and someone else and the last group was told to buy something for themselves and someone else but also had to hang out with the person at Starbucks. The people that were happiest were the people who bought something for someone else and shared the moment with them by just hanging out in Starbucks with them. Throughout this article it is shown that you shouldn’t wait around for an extra dollar to start living your life and enjoying yourself. Instead of missing out on events to be able to purchase a materialistic item later, live for the moment because it wouldn’t compare to the great memories you could be missing out on currently.

I believe happiness can’t be bought and agree with the points made in the article. A person can save to finally purchase a Chanel three thousand dollar purse and feel excited upon buying it but shortly after it’s just that – a purse. Compared to using that money to going on a vacation with family or close friends that would make life long memories. Material things are sometimes given too much importance because money brings out the selfish side of individuals.

Happy money

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Jacob Garcia

Being happy is a very miss understood word in modern life. Most people will only feel short gratification of being satisfied from buying that new bag or new sneakers, and still not feel as if they were fully satisfied. In our world we focus on our unlimited wants , rather than our limited needs.

To be happy some may say is having a million dollars and being able to satisfy their “wants” … First thing that comes to most peoples heads shown in Elizabeth Dunn’s experimental article “we focus on us and what that million dollars can do for us and us alone”. Most peoples first thoughts will be buying new cars , homes , clothes exc. but does that really make you happy ? No, because material things give us short term happiness .

What exactly will give you the most happiness out of you dollar you may ask ? It’s Simple really. Instead of buying that golden bathtub , spend that money for a nice vacation with family and friends , create a memory that will last a lifetime. You don’t need to be a billionaire to receive the same benefits of happy money. Studies have shown in the article that changing the way you spend as little as $5 can lead to a measurable increase in happiness. Research suggests that instead of purchasing items for you , do something nice for other people with that dollar , this will boost your happiness level from that dollar. Experiences come to us with more benefits of happiness.

On a Christmas morning have you ever been excited for others to open the gifts you’ve purchased for them, and waiting to see that big bright smile on their face? I have experienced that feeling first hand and now my Christmases are not about receiving money nor any items from anyone , but rather giving everything I have to my family and friends to see them smile. If you put more smiles on other peoples faces , your heart will smile back at you.

If you think about it , what will last longer, a new pair of sneakers , or a new memory at six flags with friends and family ? Sneakers will get dirty, torn , and thrown away. On the other hand a memory of an exciting trip to six flags with family and friends won’t be dirtied and thrown away, it’s just not possible. Your experiences and memories will stay with you till your death ,when you think back on your life and try to think when where you happiest you will not be thinking of that golden bathtub nor those new Jordan sneakers, you will be thinking of how you throw up on your baby sister at six flags riding on the roller coasters.

Now what we’ve learned here is to try as take out unlimited wants and replace them with our limited needs. Me empowered to make yourself a happier individual and others around you happy. Create a life filled with memories not materials and you will live a happy and healthy life. Now put those sneakers away and go throw up on your little sister.

How much money do you need to buy happiness?

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Natasha

In Los Angeles Times Elizabeth Dunn and Norton wrote an opinion piece titled “How to buy Happiness” published May 19,2013. Dunn and Norton gave an example of finding a million dollars under your mattress. What will most people do with that much money? Research shows that money brings out the selfish side of a person. Making us think what we could do with that money for ourselves. For instance, buying a new car, a new cellphone, or a new T.V. Studies have shown that materialistic goods don’t bring lasting happiness. You don’t need a million dollars to buy happiness. Just by spending as little as $5 can bring you more happiness then spending $500 in materialistic goods. It all has to do with how and in what the money is being spent. Many people still associate the American dream with buying a house. A new research shows that buying a house doesn’t really have an impact in happiness. Women that are homeowners in the United States didn’t show to be any happier then those who rent. A research in Germany showed that people who moved to a better home were satisfied with the home its self, but their happiness with their lives didn’t increase. Studies have also shown that buying experiences and memories such as going on trips or the movies will bring people more happiness than buying a material item. Social contact is proven to be a major factor for increasing mental and physical heath. Experiments done in Canada, the United States, Uganda and South Africa prove that people are more happy when they spend money on others. Dunn and Norton made an experiment that combined both experiences and giving to others. On a university campus they gave a Starbucks gift card to three groups. One group had to go to Starbucks and buy themselves something. The second group had to give the Starbucks gift card to someone else. The third group had to use the gift card to buy someone else something and to hang out with them in Starbucks. The results of the experiment was that the third group who bought something for someone else and spend time with them were the happiest. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, but the way you spend that money makes all the difference. Buying experiences for you and others could increase your happiness enormously.

I completely agree with Elizabeth Dunn and Micheal Norton. I put myself in the position of finding one million dollars under my mattress. What will I do with the money? Although it will be a tricky decision to make I honestly think I would buy myself and someone special to me a flight ticket to go on a adventure. If I was to buy myself a huge T.V I would tend to stay home watching T.V all day. Instead of wasting a whole day staying home watching T.v isolated from all the things that could be done outside and spending time with love ones. I would prefer to go out and enjoy myself. Elizabeth and Micheal said “the cost of increasing your happiness may be as cheap as two cups of coffee” (2). Rich or poor if you know how to spend your money you could increase your happiness with just two cups of coffee. Memories last a life time, material stuff doesn’t.

Money Can’t Buy Happiness or can it?

Posted on September 6, 2014 by Jack Hon

In the Los Angeles Times , “How To Buy Happiness”, by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, they have some questions in their mind. Can one buy happiness and how happy can one be from buying happiness? In the beginning of their argument, they suggested and provided studies showing that money makes us selfish. It makes us focus on what the money can do for us. For example, buying new possessions like a new phone, or a new car. However, Dunn and Norton also provide us with research that buying a new house doesn’t increase happiness as much. In fact, a study shows that homeowners and renters are as happy as each other.

In another part of the argument, Dunn and Norton suggested and provide facts that buying experiences makes people more happy than buying material things. Buying experiences are like buying tickets to a concert, special meals, and trips. In fact, buying experiences can bring people together. For example, wouldn’t you go to the movies with someone instead of going alone, or to eat in a restaurant?

In an experiment, Dunn and Norton also found out that buying something for someone else rather than yourself gives the buyer an additional boost of happiness. It doesn’t matter if one spends just a few dollars on someone, it still provide more happiness. In another experiment, Dunn and Norton combined buying experiences and giving to see if it would increase happiness. They gave three groups of students of a university campus gift card to go to Starbucks. One were ask to go by themselves. Another was told to give it to a friend and the last group was asked to go with a friend and treat that friend. in fact it shows that treating someone and sharing the experience with that person is happier than just buying something for yourself or just for someone else.

In response to Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, I agree with all of their studies and suggestions. I do believe that money makes us selfish. I would think of something I would get if I found a million dollars under my bed. I might get the new iPhone 6, the upcoming iWatch, beats headphones, etc. I believe that money buys happiness especially when I buying and giving experiences I was so happy when I bought a ticket to a concert I been wanting to go to. I didn’t want to go alone so I bought another ticket for a friend. I treated and shared the experience with a friend. I was so happy that day, it wouldn’t be the same without my friend. I think this example also proved what Elizabeth Dun and Michael Norton experiment were true. I also think that it made my friend happy too. Making others happy usually makes me happy too. I think that people should treat others more often instead of being selfish. It makes the other person happier and it makes you more happier too. In fact, I am going to treat myself and a friend a Starbuck drink on Monday, and be happy together.

The Composition of Happiness

ENG 1101 / HUS 1101 Learning Community (Fall 2014)

Category Archives: “How to Buy Happiness”