"Money can't buy you happiness."
This has been the norm for ages, something that everyone chooses to abide by and is simply common knowledge by now. Well, I choose to argue against that because I feel that money can buy you happiness but only up until a certain extent.
We simply cannot ignore the fact that money is capable of buying us our material pleasures. Although much of the population, in addition to the Bible (I think) argue that material pleasures are a luxury and that they only satisfy the greedy and aren't a necessity, I say otherwise. I mean, who doesn't like treating themselves once in a while with a new phone or merely an ice cream?
In addition to the little things, money can also provide you with security, both physical and financial. Without it, it is impossible to buy a house or any form of shelter — therefore, it is impossible to protect oneself from the outside world.
The more money you have, the stronger your financial security blanket is.
Lost your job? Chances are, if there's a decent amount of money in your bank account, then you won't be as prone to apprehension as someone who isn't rolling in cash at the moment. Stock market crashes definitely faze even the most stable-minded, but those who have quite a bit of money to cushion their financial downfall will be well-off compared to those who don't.
That said, most of these examples highlight that money provides satisfaction and not necessarily happiness.
But spent in the right way, money can in-fact "buy happiness." Capital can buy new, memorable experiences that are gateways to both short-term and long-term happiness, such as a vacation or means to indulge in a new hobby. Giving to charity can also evoke feelings of self-worth and awakening, which are guaranteed to trigger content in oneself and his surroundings.
However, there are certain things that even money cannot buy.
The key to happiness in one's life is not how much money you have or your material possessions; it is the people you surround yourself with. Studies show that having friends has a huge impact on your level of happiness, as they serve as a means of pure enjoyment and emotional support, therefore defining self-worth. Having a good support system comes in handy in rough situations where an individual is faced with emotional downfall, as these people can balance emotions to their norm once again.
A survey by the NORC organization found that those with five or more friends in their social circle classified themselves as "very happy" compared to those with fewer than five friends.
Aside this small insight, money cannot completely unlock happiness simply due to human nature of never being fully satisfied. Each of us feel the same — with just a bit more money we would be immensely more content with our lives, but when that brink is reached, we find ourselves in the same state of loathing as before.
The more you make, the more you want.
The truth is that everyone overestimates the difference in pleasure that will amount from having more. While earning more may make you happy in the short term, you quickly adjust to your newfound wealth and everything it buys you and are left with a longing feeling of craving for more.
Therefore, it is simply not plausible to jump to the assumption that money cannot amount happiness because it brings about a plausible feeling of satisfaction in one's surroundings. However, we cannot ignore the fact that even with a large sum of money, individuals that are left to thrive without loved ones in their lives will be significantly less content than those who do. In the end, we will never be completely satisfied with what we have.
