Category Archives: Happiness Archive

Can Money Buy Happiness

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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??

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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

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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

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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 ??

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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.

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

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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?

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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.