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The formula is simple: Work harder, make more money, be happier. This general principle drives public policy and individuals. Unfortunately, the formula works about as well as a chocolate fireplace guard.
Continued modern conveniences and increased affluence happiness, individually or as a society, has not increased in Western nations since WWII. So what's all the extra money for?
People in wealthy countries, especially democracies, tend to be somewhat more satisfied than people living in poor dictatorships. Yet even extreme poverty has little correlation with unhappiness. Strikingly, people who main goal is more money tend to be very unhappy.
Americans work more hours than people in other countries, usually to make more money and then use that money to "purchase" greater happiness. Ironically, while we're doing this we're often sacrificing family time and nonwork activities; the very things that are more likely to make us happier than money. Incidentally, US worker productivity is the same as that of workers in other developed countries despite the extra hours.
Status and self esteem make us happy but this is relative to other people. If general status increases yours you must also increase relatively or your happiness will decrease. Nothing is going to make you fume more than when you discover that the idiot in the next cube earns more money than you. It also follows that if my status goes up yours must go down (unless you bought a new Lexus without telling me you sneaky rat). In other words, the pursuit of status gives no gain in net happiness.
"It is impossible to build one's own happiness on the unhappiness of others."
Daisaku Ikeda
Shopping, also referred to as Retail Therapy, may feel good but it's not going to add to happiness in anything more than a fleeting buzz. Excitement is not the same as happiness. To be happier, we should consider spending less time on this hedonistic hamster wheel and worry less about how we compare to other people.
"One swallow does not make a summer, neither does one fine day;
Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics
Our unmet expectations, encouraged by TV, make us unhappy. We need to manage our expectations which probably means lowering them. My rule of thumb is 75%. Whatever the expense, car, food, house, vacation, work out what you can afford then spend 75% of it. Racing to keep up with your ever expanding needs is like sleep walking through a rose farm with no nose.
If you find that your needs are not being fulfilled … LOWER YOUR NEEDS!
"George Carlin"
Let's not write off money from the happiness equation. It's what you do with it that counts. Unfortunately, what most of us are doing with it is not making us happier. Money can help with happiness in lots of ways:
If you do not have to worry about money, well, that's one less thing. Interestingly, over-saving does not increase happiness and can actually have a negative impact on quality of life.
Money can buy you passage to pursue goals which relate much more to happiness than "stuff"; travel, cool experiences with the family, developing your skills, pursuing your hobby
Outsource the chores you hate most and spend the time saved with friends and family.
You could always give some of it away! Helping others is consistently correlated with happiness but what works best is combining this with some hands-on charity work rather than simply writing a check.
It's materialism, not money, that makes for less happiness. Having positive experiences leads to much more happiness than acquiring physical things. True wealth is about happiness. Money can help but it's more important to be happy than it is to be rich.
PS but hey, if you do have lots of dosh and you're feeling down at least it's better to cry in your Mercedes than on the bus.
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Source by Michael K Keith
