Can Money Make You Happy? - Paper Example

Introduction

It is a difficult question to unravel since I believe happiness is the sole thing every human being seeks while still alive. Money can be viewed as a means to achieve that happiness since it helps you get basic needs and wants (Blackman& Andrew). But from real-world experiences, it has been proven that possession of money doesn't guarantee happiness. As the saying goes, 'The rich also cry'.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

First things first, we need to find a deeper meaning of happiness and ask the question, what really is happiness? Happiness is a feeling which is caused by invisible factors such as one's character. It is a difficult emotion to control and can be triggered by a lot of things like love and money. Statistically speaking, it has been proven that wealthier people are happier than those who are less wealthy. This, however, does not mean it is the sole reason.

It can be argued that the GDP index of countries and their happiness levels often go hand in hand. Happiest countries in the world tend to have a higher GDP than the sad ones. Taking an example of Northern Europe countries which rank highly in the happiness index according to

"The latest World Happiness Report, released in March 2017 by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations." Countries here, like Denmark, Poland, and Norway have the happiest citizens according to the report. The poverty indices in these said countries are the lowest in the world.

The relationship between GDP per capita and life satisfaction for most people have a positive connection. From these statistics, what I seem to gather is that money gives one option. These choices certainly gives people comfort even if they do not need them. It shields them from the misfortunes of life thus, they can power through most of the difficulties like diseases and brings hope. Hope is what drives happiness. The thought of having money in the bank brings comfort and hope, thus the owner will most likely be happy knowing that he can overcome future problems (Harrison, and K. Drysdale).

To add to this point, people with money and are somewhat philanthropic, find happiness in giving the less fortunate. There is comfort in seeing the less fortunate for improving their lives because of your philanthropy. I also find it comforting to be sick or die being surrounded by wealthy material possessions rather than to be sick in miserable conditions.

In today's society, respect mostly comes with the amount of wealth you possess. The rich always have reserved seats in most social gatherings. Even in concerts, there are VIP seats which are reserved for People who are financially able than others. This makes them feel more wanted than the others which actually is a source of happiness. It is also very difficult to maintain a healthy relationship in the current world without money because lack of it reduces the chances of couples being happy. Poor people with brilliant ideas are often disregarded compared to those who are wealthy. Rich people have access to resources and power which makes them more listened to thus a source of happiness.

On the contrary, there are opponents to the fact that money buys happiness. Yes, money can buy you happiness and comfort for some time, but lack of it will take that comfort with it. As the saying goes, the rich also cry. Yes, most countries with a high GDP per Capita rank highly in happy countries but countries like The United States of America, China, Japan, and Russia have very high GDP per capita, but they do not rank very highly in the happiness index. This shows that wealthy people, also have problems. Some Countries with almost the same GDP per Capita have very different happiness index levels. An example of these is Brazil and Bulgaria which have the same GDP per capita but Brazilians are twice as happier than Bulgarians. Depression and suicide rates in developed countries are also very high. According to pulse.ng, Somalia which is ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world are ranked in the top five happiest countries in Africa. This statistic is in sharp contradiction with the saying that money buys happiness.

It is always said that man makes his own happiness, the above statistics have proved that happiness is brought about by a lot of things besides money. Happiness is sometimes the feeling of painlessness (West & Gildengorin). Money only brings a sense of relaxation and comfort, but there is more to life than that. With or without money, suffering will always be there in our lives and as Budha says, 'All live from birth to death are filled with suffering and these sufferings are caused by cravings for worldly things.'

Conclusion

Based on the arguments, it is prudent to say that there is more to happiness than just money. These other things include a healthy lifestyle, someone to lay a shoulder on, freedom and peace of mind. Happiness is a proportion of social welfare as opposed to analyzing good education, good wellbeing, government, and education.

My take on this topic is that money cannot buy happiness. It may increase the level of your happiness for some time but these things fade away and all you remain with is the non-material possessions and your loved ones. Everyone should strive to find happiness. When you seek money more than you seek happiness, problems will follow you. We all strive to live in a pain-free world so follow your heart and do whatever you like excellently and happiness will follow you.

Works Cited

Blackman, Andrew. "Can money buy you happiness." Wall Street Journal (2014).

Harrison, P. J., and K. Drysdale. "Can money buy happiness?." (2014).

West, Catherine G., Dwayne M. Reed, and Ginny L. Gildengorin. "Can money buy happiness? Depressive symptoms in an affluent older population." Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 46.1 (1998): 49-57.