Misconceptions about happiness - Part 1 Can Money buy you happiness?
Misconceptions about happiness:
Part 1 - Can money buy you happiness?
When you're asked what do you think will make you happier what is your response?
Most adults will answer more money, a partner (love), more things (or awesome stuff), a perfect body, or a good job. By looking at most people's Instagram's, and other social media platforms, we're hard wired to think that these things are the key to happiness...well I hate to burst your bubble but they're not. In fact these are the things that are driving you to be less happy.
Let's start with money. Misconception #1 is the notion that more money = more happiness. If you asked someone if they are making enough money right now chances are they will say no. People believe that they will be infinitely more happy if they just made more money to be able to buy more things and feel more "comfortable". Does having more things and money scientifically correlate to being happier though? The answer (spoiler alert!) is no, and I'll tell you why.
We are in such a unique moment in our history where normalcy has been stripped away from us. Many Americans with good paying jobs have suddenly had their pay cut back by a significant amount, and while this doesn't stop them from being able to afford the necessities, it is a different lifestyle than the one they have grown accustomed to. Suddenly you're considering to cook instead of ordering take out from your favorite restaurant and you're not perusing your favorite clothing store to keep up with the trends. This pandemic has affected us all in many different ways. I for one, am one of the very fortunate to still be making an income during this uncertain time, but many are not that fortunate and weren't as fortunate prior to this. Ultimately, this pandemic has turned life as we know it upside down and stripped us of a lot of our normal "comforts". If anything this is a time where we can really put to the test whether or not those things actually make us happier!
In the 1940s people placed on average more importance on emotional well being and less importance on materialistic things (granted this was a time prior to all of the wonderful, or not so wonderful depending on how you look at it...but I'll get in to that later, technology that has developed since). Regardless, Americans didn't have the so called comforts we've come to know and love. They were also happier (huh...I really thought that 20th pair of Lululemon 'Align Pant' leggings was really going to do the trick this time...)! As much as this may disappoint you to learn that money can't buy you happiness it's an incredibly important lesson to learn. Due to social media we have started socially comparing ourselves to everyone else. Seeing a stream of everyone's highlights and thinking that that's exactly what we need to make us happy, and if we don't have it then we're failing which leads to depression and unhappiness (another misconception...that sneaky mind is playing tricks on us again).
Studies show that in the U.S. (and any other first world country) that after making 75k annually your emotional well being will stop increasing due to financial gains. This means that there is no real correlation between money and happiness once all of our basic needs are met...and I know if you've gotten to this point in my rant that you're probably thinking..."But Christina I would be soooo much happier if I could quarantine in a big old house with an expansive yard to escape to for a bit!", but that's not what is going to truly make you happy. Happiness comes from changing our habits, practicing gratitude, and savoring the small moments in life. Social comparison is an insidious rabbit hole that will continue to make us feel like we will never have enough to be happy. I bet if you asked any celebrity right now if they are "happy" with being in their homes all day and not being able to truly to do what they love (even inside those big old houses they have) they would say no! They're going crazy just like the rest of us. So here's my final thought...we are now all on a relatively even playing field, so let's see how much we can connect and appreciate one another without comparing. If you're going to share the moments that you did something great in your day, awesome, but I also challenge you to share the moments of struggle and remember money can't buy you happiness.
Part 1 - Can money buy you happiness?
When you're asked what do you think will make you happier what is your response?
Most adults will answer more money, a partner (love), more things (or awesome stuff), a perfect body, or a good job. By looking at most people's Instagram's, and other social media platforms, we're hard wired to think that these things are the key to happiness...well I hate to burst your bubble but they're not. In fact these are the things that are driving you to be less happy.
Let's start with money. Misconception #1 is the notion that more money = more happiness. If you asked someone if they are making enough money right now chances are they will say no. People believe that they will be infinitely more happy if they just made more money to be able to buy more things and feel more "comfortable". Does having more things and money scientifically correlate to being happier though? The answer (spoiler alert!) is no, and I'll tell you why.
We are in such a unique moment in our history where normalcy has been stripped away from us. Many Americans with good paying jobs have suddenly had their pay cut back by a significant amount, and while this doesn't stop them from being able to afford the necessities, it is a different lifestyle than the one they have grown accustomed to. Suddenly you're considering to cook instead of ordering take out from your favorite restaurant and you're not perusing your favorite clothing store to keep up with the trends. This pandemic has affected us all in many different ways. I for one, am one of the very fortunate to still be making an income during this uncertain time, but many are not that fortunate and weren't as fortunate prior to this. Ultimately, this pandemic has turned life as we know it upside down and stripped us of a lot of our normal "comforts". If anything this is a time where we can really put to the test whether or not those things actually make us happier!
In the 1940s people placed on average more importance on emotional well being and less importance on materialistic things (granted this was a time prior to all of the wonderful, or not so wonderful depending on how you look at it...but I'll get in to that later, technology that has developed since). Regardless, Americans didn't have the so called comforts we've come to know and love. They were also happier (huh...I really thought that 20th pair of Lululemon 'Align Pant' leggings was really going to do the trick this time...)! As much as this may disappoint you to learn that money can't buy you happiness it's an incredibly important lesson to learn. Due to social media we have started socially comparing ourselves to everyone else. Seeing a stream of everyone's highlights and thinking that that's exactly what we need to make us happy, and if we don't have it then we're failing which leads to depression and unhappiness (another misconception...that sneaky mind is playing tricks on us again).
Studies show that in the U.S. (and any other first world country) that after making 75k annually your emotional well being will stop increasing due to financial gains. This means that there is no real correlation between money and happiness once all of our basic needs are met...and I know if you've gotten to this point in my rant that you're probably thinking..."But Christina I would be soooo much happier if I could quarantine in a big old house with an expansive yard to escape to for a bit!", but that's not what is going to truly make you happy. Happiness comes from changing our habits, practicing gratitude, and savoring the small moments in life. Social comparison is an insidious rabbit hole that will continue to make us feel like we will never have enough to be happy. I bet if you asked any celebrity right now if they are "happy" with being in their homes all day and not being able to truly to do what they love (even inside those big old houses they have) they would say no! They're going crazy just like the rest of us. So here's my final thought...we are now all on a relatively even playing field, so let's see how much we can connect and appreciate one another without comparing. If you're going to share the moments that you did something great in your day, awesome, but I also challenge you to share the moments of struggle and remember money can't buy you happiness.
Comments
Post a Comment