Someone very close to me recently asked, "What's more important...money or love?" I was quick to answer love, but to my dismay, I had given her the wrong answer. She proceeded to say that I should prioritize materialism and I should find someone who can financially provide for me. Money first, love second. I was brutally shocked that someone could have this mind set, especially someone so close to me. I'm sure many of you are aware that money does not buy love or happiness, so instead of simply explaining how, I'm going to explain why it doesn't.

Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, established a hierarchy of basic human needs. At the bottom of the pyramid, there are physiological needs which include sleep, food, air, etc, and then come safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization at the top. I first want to establish that money does contribute to happiness, but only up to a certain threshold. Once your physiological and safety needs are met, money does not positively correlate with happiness levels.

Many people, particularly people in middle and upper social classes, have this false perception of reality. Many people push their children to major in "smart majors," even if their children have no interest in the subject. They push their kids to receive the best college education at the expense of their children's mental health. These parents push their kids to have a 4.0, apply to the highest tier internships, and land the highest-paying job. Work work work. If you ask these parents why they push their kids so hard, they typically respond by saying "I want them to make a lot of money so that they can be successful and happy." This false wisdom is instilled into their children, and it is passed on from generation to generation.

I want to make it clear that I'm not stating that you shouldn't work hard and reach high. I'm saying that you should study what makes you happy. If it's engineering, great. If it's psychology, great. You have the potential to be happy either way. Your physiological and safety needs can be met no matter where you go to school, no matter what you major in, and no matter where you intern, as long as you work hard. Some people will achieve these needs sooner than you will, but this doesn't mean that you won't.

Some people will make more money than you do; they might own bigger houses and might drive nicer cars but, this does NOT mean that they will be happier than you. As cliche as this sounds, bigger does not mean better. In 10 years, if I am able to have a career in something I love, be content with myself, and be able to come home to someone who unconditionally loves me, then I will have no complaints.

The point of this article is to better educate people on the reality of money and happiness. Stop pushing your kid at the expense of his or her mental health. I write this with hopes that one day you won't look back on your life and regret having pushed yourself for no good reason. The years you spend over-stressing about your future are the years that you are wasting. Once you have satisfied the first two basic human needs, stop striving for the next best materialistic thing, and start striving to have your love, belonging, and esteem needs met.