Buying happiness!
HAPPINESS is one thing everyone desires. Interestingly, what makes you happy may be completely different from what makes me happy. However, a common denominator, money, a form of resource, makes the world go round. Even though many believe this unifier can buy happiness, past events and occurrences have shown otherwise hence the popular notion “money cannot buy happiness.”
This notion is backed by the fact that even the richest people on earth may not necessarily be the happiest people you know. Cases have been cited of lottery winners who became miserable a few years after their big wins as they couldn’t seem to find joy in stuff they acquired over time. These examples, alongside many others, have made us all believe that investing in material things will not bring lasting joy, especially because the more we acquire, the more the desire to get more becomes insatiable.
However, studies in recent times have debunked this notion as a half-truth because their outcomes have proven that money can buy happiness and, more so, from time to time. Therefore, what is missing in the notion of “money cannot buy happiness” is the caveat - “depending on what is being bought.”
Although it’s natural to feel ecstatic buying a new house, the latest car or your favourite item, the happiness can be shortlived due to hedonic adaptation, which is normal. However, money spent on intangibles like experience, kindness, convenience, and wellness gives a different outcome.
Experiences such as going on a vacation to a beautiful island or enjoying some form of solitude in a spa, away from the hustling and bustling of everyday life, can make someone unimaginably happier. The convenience of having a driver or a chef can give someone a positive outlook on life, too, as it makes a whole lot of difference in one’s life and general well-being.
Noting these two examples as intangibles that are not separate from self, studies have also shown that being kind to others, such as giving gifts and donating to charitable causes, bumps up one’s happiness level.
This has also been proven by Professor Dunn’s study, which included an experiment on spending and happiness. Giving each participant $20 and mandating some of them to spend it on themselves while others spend it on someone else by the end of the day. The study revealed that the people that spent the money on gifts for others or charity recorded an increase in their happiness levels compared with those that spent the money on themselves.
Hence the research outcome shows the unique nature of intangibles that money can buy to bring happiness. This distinctive attribute is embedded in the fact that; spending money on a worthy cause or for the greater good goes beyond oneself or object to people or cause with which the giver has established a direct connection.
More importantly, the fact that these experiences can be savoured or easily re-awakened to boost one’s happiness level from time to time makes it such a powerful tool. It may interest you that hedonic adaptation sets in even in romantic relationships, new jobs or promotions, marriages, etc. The power to remain happy lies in learning to overcome boredom and loss of interest and have a positive mental attitude towards everything.
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Next time you consider buying expensive jewellery to make yourself happy, consider travelling to Zanzibar for a lifechanging experience. The experience goes into your memory bank, which you can always recall boosting your happiness level from time to time.
Be spontaneous and adventurous! Spontaneity can keep the fire or passion burning, be it in a relationship, marriage, travel, or task. Taking up new tasks or job roles can be a life-changing experience that one might appreciate in hindsight… well, just saying.