I just completed a course on Money and Happiness by Illinois offered through Coursera. According to research, an income higher than about USD 100k in USA doesn't result in higher happiness. But there is also contradictory research which shows that except for unhappy people, happiness keeps going up with higher income. And what most people think will make them happy is wealth and fame. But what makes people happy, according to research, is the quality of relationships. And about 50% of our happiness is genetic, 10% due to luck, and about 40% under your control.
I think this applies to the conforming majority. Some people who don't conform and think for themselves, and are never satisfied, will change the world, or/and be ostracized. How much they contribute to the world isn't correlated with how happy they are. I think most of the psychological studies referenced in this course apply to ordinary modern Americans. Not to original thinkers like Van Gogh or Socrates.
Reference: Money and Happiness / University of Illinois (Coursera)
Posted by truthandfreedom3
9 Comments
Wealth doesn’t equate to happiness because a vast majority of the wealthy are miserable narcissistic shitbags that never stop wanting more. Whereas those of us under that 100k threshold are week to week, and the anxiety and depression obviously lead to unhappiness.
Over that past few years I’ve resigned to giving up on my dreams of accomplishing anything. It if I could get back to to my 125ish level I’d at least be debt free and not worried about stretching $50 over a week to eat.
Happiness is truly in the eye of the beholder, but money solves about 99% of middle class and below issues that cause it to dwindle.
Speaking for myself, part of when I’m making good money, I’m less stressed and I feel like I am achieving. I think I derive more happiness from feeling of an achievement than the money it self. Obviously the money is important but that is more in countering the feelings of stress when the money is not flowing. I see plenty of people with money that are unhappy but they seem to feel entitled to it vs it being something they earned via hard work.
“ Some people who don’t conform and think for themselves, and are never satisfied, will change the world, or/and be ostracized.”
This caught my eye and attention. Would you be able to expand on and clarify this more?
Epictetus said it thousands of years ago. Your thoughts determine your emotional state. That’s it. You can have 0 dollars and be happy.
It’s just incredibly hard to separate external from our “self”.
> an income higher than about USD 100k in USA doesn’t result in higher happiness.
Quoting one round number like $100k is kind of deceptive. It doesn’t acknowledge cost of living adjustments. So some people would have an excess after meeting their physiological and safety needs (rent/mortgage, food, taxes, etc.) while others would still be in a hole.
High achievers are often psychologically never satisfied and as such prone to burnout.
Always trying to fill a feeling of lack.
The arrival fallacy says something similar.
Determinism says we couldn’t have done it any other way. That we are a product of our environment and genetics.
This is more if you’re depressed then being rich one make you happy. Some people are just happy with more money and things.
Money doesnt but happiness, but it c more comfortable crying in a Mercedes than on a bike.
Ive been homeless and I now have money and dont have to work.
Am I more happy now? No, but i am more comfortable. Plus, because of my experiences, I am content.
Genetically I am like my dad who never has a bad day. And I was raised by parents who always taught me to look on the bright side of things even when things arent going your way.
So because of this, I think happiness is innate. Even when I was homeless, I was still happy because I knew that the only direction I could go was up.
But I do think money makes some people happy because it takes away stress. But I am not sure I would consider that happiness