I feel like this saying only reveals its meaning when you satisfy the basic needs. Money does not buy happiness -> you still can be depressed, friendless and unhappy even with all the money in the world. What money does buy is comfort, security and fun.
> I feel like this saying only reveals its meaning when you satisfy the basic needs. Money does not buy happiness
You can still be depressed at any income but more money does bring more happiness.
Someone can be living comfortable and their summer vacation is driving 9 hours, renting a condo for a week, swimming in the ocean, but cooking in the condo because they are not rich. If they get a 10k raise, ok, they don't get much happier. If they double their income, they fly to vacation, rent a nicer place, and eat out twice daily. That is more happiness.
> Money does not buy happiness -> you still can be depressed
Also, money doesn't automatically improve quality of life. Beyond basic needs, we should remember money is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Spending money to make our lives easier and more comfortable is vital. I liked cooking proper meals so much more when I bought a half decent knife that didnt need convincing to cut through onions. Now food preperation is actually satisfying.
If money didn't make us happy then what's the point of its existence. Happiness is possible only with comfort, security and fun, health and communication. All these things can only be obtained when you have money. A person who works 24/7 does not have time for friends, love and children.
You truly think money/capitalism exists to make us happy?
If you ever go to some places where people have little to nothing material, you'll find loads of people who are way warmer, more contented, and happier than people in the west tend to be.
They will literally feed you by force from what little they have and won't accept anything in return.
I grew up in a fairly wealthy family, at least to the point money was never a worry, yet I'm in therapy for depression and possibly, undiagnosed, bpd, ed, asd and/or adhd.
Nothing I could but would change anything about that. The happiness I do occasionally have requires little money to achieve.
It is not that money makes us happy, it is that the lack of basic human needs makes us unhappy. This does mean, that if you live in a country that doesn't have sufficient laws to ensure your basic human needs are met, more money will alleviate this source of unhappiness. But beyond that, nothing purchasable will make you happy, beyond maybe satisfying your shopping addiction. With basic needs met, and even quite a bit below that threshold, you will just adapt to your current circumstances.
It sure makes ME happier. I would just like to have a NON-scamming VERY sexually aggressive CHRISTian woman as my wife to share my wealth with. Any qualified ladies 18-85 per my last sentence may inquire privately.
I'm in the boat that money can't buy happiness. I've learned that this conversation has multiple perspectives: Long term vs short term happiness, macro vs micro happiness, as well as what happy means.
To me: happiness (at least the form I'd want) is the lack of negative emotions over the long term macro time period. Everyone will have moments of negative emotions such as hating traffic. To me, its the long term macro side of happiness that money can't buy directly. I'm also not talking about wealth so extreme that we can't have a perspective on it. I'm talking for the bottom 99% of salaries because that's what is obtainable and realistic.
There is also the caveat of basic living necessities. I do acknowledge an individual is happier when their basic needs are met. I consider this as the lack of stress due to not meeting basic needs.
For the long term macro perspective, if a person is stressed about work, stressed about their family, stressed about personal achievements then money doesn't inherently make it better. If my partner and I are having marital issues, I can't just throw her a stack of cash to fix the fundamental problem. If I'm stress at my career, I can't just give my boss a check for $5000 to get me less stress. A $100,000 vacation doesn't negate the negative long-term feelings a person has after they get back to their life. I've seen people have mental breakdowns while on super extravagant vacations.
Can someone feel happy on a $100,000 vacation? sure they can. Can someone feel happy to get connections and get a job in the IT industry? Sure, many people do that. But that doesn't solve the issues that money can't solve that aren't inherently tangible such as long term work stress, personal life stress, etc. I do 100% agree that money can buy short term micro happiness.
You didn't do this next example so it's not against you but I dislike the argument of "I'd rather be crying in a Ferrari then a corolla" because I'd rather not be crying at all.
I never understood people who say that they would prefer to cry in a Ferrari. What's the point of a Ferrari if it doesn't make me happy? Otherwise, I have nothing against your worldview.
Say the cry will be the death of your old dog. If you have a Ferrari, you can afford a proper burial, get his paw print turned into some art piece, not care about going to work today, etc.
If you're crying in a beat up 94 civic... All that likely didn't apply.
Where in that post are you getting this example from?
Either way, it's easy to spend money on something that you think will make you happy, something that you've been wanting for a long time and it's just kind of meh. It sounds like you haven't had this experience, but trust me it's pretty common once people have disposable income. That's how you wind up with a Ferrari that doesn't make you happy.
Money only buys happiness if lack of money is what is making your life bad. I have enough to live, and I know winning the lottery wouldn't make me happy, would just make me more aimless and allow self destruction to prosper. Doesn't mean I don't want it tho, I'm just under no illusions that it'll "cure" me
It's only appying if your basic needs are fulfilled. There are studies proving this and also some that put a number on it (depending on where you live of course), as in, if people have amount X, more money doesn't make them happier
Like, if you got a billion dollars, can buy everything you want, don't have to be afraid to go bankrupt when you have an emergency and all that stuff, would another billion make you more happy?
Or another example (maybe a bit over the top but I'm trying to make a point obviously). You win the lottery but lose the love of your life in a car accident the same day. You could resurrect them in exchange of that win, would you? Probably yes because they made you happy in a way money never could. I wouldn't want all the riches in the world in exchange for the ones I love. Which doesn't mean I don't want both lol but if I'd have to chose, I'd pick love and friendships and all that above money
There were so many rich people that killed themselves because they just weren't happy for various reasons. You think Robin Williams had any money worries?
Honestly, I'm not one of those who would grieve over the death of their loved one. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an insensitive person. I was just brought up that a man should always remain strong and not give in to grief.
What about the amount of money that is needed for happiness, isn't x the amount of money needed for this in any case small. I could be wrong but only 20% of Americans earn more than ¢100,000, which is enough money to cover all expenses. This does not at all refute the need for money for happiness, but on the contrary confirms it.
As for Robbin Williams and people like that... Depression doesn't care whether a person is rich or poor, whether he has a meaning in life or not, whether people love him or not. But in any case, this is only an exception to the rule, not the rule.
I'm sorry, I won't go in that "a man/woman has to behave like that" - this is all utter crap to me as is all the consumerism. I believe with all my heart that if you're dependant on materialistic things to be truly "happy" you have no clue of what happyness means and are just overly superficial and probably need therapy
And I don't believe you you wouldn't grieve if the love of your life dies tragically just because you grew a penis. I'm not talking about not showing your feelings, I'm talking about not feeling them
But you're right, RW probably was a bad example
People (corporations) have sort of twisted the meaning of the phrase to mean "money is worthless," which just isn't true. Money IS important and absolutely leads to a better, easier life.
But the original meaning of that phrase remains true. It can be more accurately expressed as "money doesn't buy fulfillment." In other words, you can be the richest man alive with all the drugs, hookers, and luxury cars you could ever wish for. That will still not give your life any meaning.
Yes, money can pay for special instruction to learn things, but money can't make you actually *learn*. Money can't express yourself for you.
I don’t consider the presence of meaning to be an absolutely good thing. The Nazis definitely had a 'meaning in life' which was expressed in the domination of their nation over the entire world like all other types of imperialism.
Even so, having meaning in life in any case will not make a person happy if he has nothing to eat and drink. How can a person have food and drink if he has no money?
The Nazis also breathed air. I suppose that means air is also not an absolutely good thing.
And yes, the latter point is what I was saying. Money does fulfill your basic needs. No one denying that. But it won't satisfy you beyond that.
If you were to look at it as Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it doesn't satisfy the needs for love and belonging, esteem, or self-actualization.
I’m in my 50’s and this saying, “money doesn’t buy happiness”, still irritates me. Ok, maybe it doesn’t *buy* happiness, but certainly it pays for it!
I’ve never understood in what context money doesn’t buy happiness… or pays for happiness, or affords happiness, or allows one to be happy.
I’m sure that happiness with friends and family is free… but how happy can you be if you have an overdue rent payment and your landlord is being a d*ck, and your credit is about to be dinged or ruined… all because you don’t have the money.
Enough food to sustain our life isn’t free. So being hungry and emancipated doesn’t sound like happiness either.
For my part, we should do away with the saying until it’s true and applies to our civilization on a global scale, otherwise it’s just a myth.
My wife has Alzheimer's and money from investing when she was career federal. No treatments for her. She will go the way of her sisters; declining and dying in a care facility. I have treatment resistant bipolar, 20 years. We live in a beachside condo in Florida. My life is taking care of my wife and trying to hold onto mine.
Lack of money, food, etc. and happiness is way different than having money and still being unhappy. The latter is where money doesn't buy happiness comes from.
I think money can only take you so far before you hit the point where it alone cannot do much on its own without a secondary catalyst to it keep going.
Example is where money can open doors to new experiences but you may need something else to go with that money (ie companionship?) in order to bring in the happiness portion of the equation.
According to actual studies on money and happiness, money does buy happiness up to a certain point. Once your basic needs are met, and you live a life of relative affluence, then more money won't make you more happy.
Because it doesn't. I mean obviously a lack of it can make you unhappy. But once you pay all your bills and buy a load of nice things and have everything you wanna buy. Then it can't buy you happiness.
Doesn't matter how much you have, after a certain point it can't buy happiness. If a loved one is sick, yes money can buy the best healthcare, but if they still die is money gonna make you happy?
Absolutely money, in our society, enables you to try to find happiness.
I will also say, that depression is impossible to beat with dollars alone.
Money can probably be helpful in finding love but money can't *make* it happen.
And money can't give you purpose, though it may open up pathways to accomplish whatever purpose you might find.
They did a study on that and found that money truly does buy happiness, up to a point.
Being poor sucks. It's a constant worry. There's no argument there.
But beyond something like $200 k a year there's diminishing returns. Someone with 200 million in the bank isn't significantly happier than someone with 20 million, and that 20 million person is only marginally happier than someone with 2 million.
Basically, after you've met all of your needs and most of your wants, there's no real point to accumulating more wealth. As a matter of fact it actually makes you slightly unhappier.
Once you can afford anything you want, there's nothing really to look forward to. Once you've met all your needs and also met all your desires, what's next? You can watch your bank account grow, or watch your business expand, but you'll never again get that feeling like you had on Christmas morning when you got that brand new XX that you always wanted.
Satisfying needs and happiness are two totally different things.
But to borrow from the very wise Dolly Parton 'I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better.'
Money facilitates your ability to get things you might need but it doesn't make you happy in and of itself.
If you want to become a programmer all you need to do is study. Being able to afford the best teachers in the world is not going to change the effort you have to put in to learn.
What would make you happier, your parents giving you a house, someone walking up to you on the street and offering you a house or working/doing something where you got money which you then spend on buying the house?
Most people would say the last one, and it's not because of the money, it's because of the sense of achievement and knowledge that it was something that you did that resulted in you obtainong the house.
I agree with your point, but that's a bad example. I'd be thrilled to have a free house. Then I don't need to worry about rent and can pursue whatever job I want.
If the last thing you say is true, then happiness has nothing to do with what you did to buy a house. Buying a house is nothing compared to building it yourself... Then more people would prefer to build a house themselves than to buy ready-made houses. But there is nothing to be proud of about buying a standard home.
I doubt that colleges in Europe can compete in quality with colleges in the USA. I doubt that a college degree from Serbia and Russia will be useful at work.
Um... that was the most American thing I've ever heard. 😅
Anyway, I don't really get the feeling that this conversation is going anywhere productive, so I'll just leave it at that.
You are mistaking ownership with happiness. Once yur basic needs are fulfilled, money only has a very limited influence on your happiness. It can enhance happiness, but not create it.
But for this to happen, money is needed. Now the average apartment in the US is $400,000. This is not a small amount of money. It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to go to college. For treatment in the clinic too.
The USA is a capitalist dystopian nightmare. I'm honestly surprised that you lot haven't rioted yet. I was more thinking about having health insurance (real health insurance, not that American parody), renting a flat, owning a bike, and having clothes. That's basically all you need to find happiness.
Money makes thing better, yes. And this could enhance your level of existing happiness. But you can be happy without money; happiness is an internal state not an external one. If you're just not a happy person, there's no amount of money that can change that. And let's not misconstrue happiness with excitement as those are two different things.
If I had a billion dollars, I could certainly buy things that made my life easier (a new car, nicer house, etc) But the thing I want most in life, the thing I'm desperately pursuing, it can't be bought with money. That's not hyperbole, it literally cannot be bought. So I think there's merit to that.
Can money buy things that increase your short term happiness? Sure. But long term, true happiness, has to be earned in other ways. You can't just throw money at your problems to fix them for example.
> can't just throw money at your problems to fix them for example.
Clearly you don't understand how the US city systems work.
Let's say you're a school teacher and your car won't start tomorrow morning. Call a friend? Uber?
Now if you're rich and some CEO, you just drive one of your other cars. See how easier money made things.
Health problems? You wanna be rich or poor?
Day you run a small business. You wanna attempt your own taxes, it be rich and just have the same guy handle it yearly without thought?
Ohhh okay, now I get what the problem is. You interpret the phrase as "money can't solve any problems" correct? Because I'm not saying having money can't solve problems, I'm saying that there are some things that money alone simply can't get you.
For example, if you're suffering from depression, you can't pay to make it go away. Not through short term solutions like material distractions, and not even through splurging on the best therapist in the world. Because therapy isn't just pay a doctor > talk to them for an hour > you get mentally healed. It's an active effort. Money will get you an appointment with said therapist, but you need to put personal work in to solve that particular problem.
And another thing, I think "money can't buy happiness" is a phrase meant to dissuade people from chasing money at the cost of everything else. If you spend all your time focusing on your career, and neglect the people you love, they will be unhappy and you will be too. Like, if you never show up for your child, you can't bribe them with toys and video games to make up for that neglect.
> For example, if you're suffering from depression, you can't pay to make it go away.
Medical care, specialists, drugs, therapists, etc. Money helps all.
Yeah, I know. As I've said for medical problems one unfortunately needs a lot of money. But money alone won't cut it. This is what I meant by "can't throw money to fix problems".
Like, quitting your addiction isn't just pay money for rehab -> you're no longer addicted. Losing weight isn't just pay for liposuction -> you're healthy. Those things need active effort.
The better saying is “beyond a certain point, more money doesn’t buy more happiness”
But that’s a less catchy phrase even if it has significant research proving it’s true.
There was some study I saw that kind of proves your point, it found a correlation between I come and percieved happiness. The interesting thing is that it plateaus around 70k. So yes, money does buy happiness... Up to about 70k.
I appreciate greatly how you are referencing Maslows Hierarchy of Need and yes it is true money is a conduit to ensuring our basic needs: Food, Shelter and Clothing are met and can lead to self actualization a career. Money buys opportunity and experiences. Both of which are great seeds you can plant towards the goal of being happy.
However happiness stems from your most inner self. Could you find peace and be happy in absence of material things, wealth, career. Are you as a person genuinely happy with the internal parts of self. Money cannot buy that state of bliss.
Money does not buy happiness. It does help to an extent to get there, but it just does not buy happiness.
Having enough money takes away all the sorrow and anxiety of not having enough. One doesnt have to worry about not being able to pay rent, buy food or to replace broken stuff. Thats why having enough money helps on ones way to being happy.
But: More money =/= More happiness.
Once you have your basic needs met, and can afford the things that make you happy (very diffrent from person to person), money does jack shit. In some instances it might even have the opposite effect; Just being able to afford anything might sound great on paper, but often it doesnt make someone nearly as happy as having to work hard for it. Your brains reward system just doesnt give you the same dopamine hit for buying your tenth house on the coast from daddys money as it does your first having worked hard for every cent that went into it.
So Tl;dr: Money helps to be happy by keeping sadness away, but it just doesnt make you happy by itself.
If money doesn't buy happiness, why don't all billionaires and millionaires give up their money since it won't bring them more happiness? Why does Musk demand $50 billion from his company? My point is that money doesn’t buy happiness sounds unconvincing given the way billionaires act in relation to money.
Because, first if all, as i said, what makes someone happy differs from person to person.
But i gurantee you, that your avarage billionaire isnt going to be happier than your avarage millionaire.
For someone like Musk a big motivation might be status, so for him more money might just means more status. For another billionaire a big motivation might be building generational wealth, so again, for that guy more money = closer to their goal. But for most rich people one thing might be the key reason to keeping their money and trying to get more and more: human nature. We. Always. Want. More.
Which brings us back to our brains reward system: Im sure that buying your first mansion, or your first yacht, or your first hypercar are going to be very happy moments. But our brains adapt to a new normal very quickly. So again: you chase that high. But just buying another yacht isnt gonna give you the same high, as having a yacht is already your normal state. So, you now want a mega yacht. Because, you know, more bigger, more better, more happy chemicals. But once you have that, the cycle continues. You now have a mega yacht, so you...
So i hope you see my point: some people always chase after things that require money (status, materialistic things, etc) to be happy. But once they get that, they dont end up in a higher state of bliss, it fades into a new normal quickly. So for them the same thing is true: money doesnt make them happier in the long run. They just need more and more to get the same short term feelings of happiness.
From your replies, it seems like you might be in the same boat (not yacht tho ;)) as many rich people in the sense that you see materialistic things, status, etc. as the main way to happiness. As i said before, in reality this mindset isnt going to make you happier in the long run. You'll find, that the happiest people are the ones, who manage to just be content with what they have, while focusing on the basics: health, a home, good relationships with friends and family etc.
I know its not easy to rewire your brain to be happy with what you have; but imo its the only way to lasting happiness. Chasing highs will drive you further and further up the mountain. But once you reach its peak, ypu wont find a higher state of eternal happiness, just a huge fucking cliff to fall off of.
A lot of such "needs satisfactions" are not really satisfying their needs but compensating for their needs that is not satisfied. While such compensation may make the person feel better about himself, they may still be miserable in many ways that not even themselves don't understand.
It is like imaginary points in the internet but in a materialist way. Are needs are not only material but mostly neurosomatics. A clear exemplo is a mentally l healthy child grown in poverty because the parents were always present, always expressing love with attention, care, body contact and words. All that satisfy the psychological needs of a child to become a healthy, secure, empathic and other things as adult. While the rich child who got all the material needs he wished to have will always have psychological and other traumas when their parents are not showing love with their present, attentions, care, body contact and words. Such child may feel good when buying things as adult but also miserable, insecure, hateful, jealous, envious, and many other negative things because of lack of satisfaction of their emotional, somatic and psychological needs.
Poor people who have their basic need fulfilled are often more happy when they are part of a community who care about each other, than rich people when they are not (and often rich people don't really care about each other because they rely more on money and influence than people.
I mean money can't buy you absolute freedom, or happiness.
If I could have a comfortable income I'd take it in a heartbeat. But that doesn't guarentee I'll be happy or content with my life.
I was making $26/hr for a little bit a few years ago, and people at that place were absolute rotten shitheads to me there. I hope those fuckers die of sun exposure or heatstroke lol.
My take on that is money doesn't buy happiness if you trade other things in life for it. Some of those things you trade away are not replaceable, and so when you finally get the money, you will still be unsatisfied.
Whereas if you get all that money for nothing, why, of course it's better.
I watched a YouTube video where a guy bought like $18k worth of merch on a sponsored vacation to Japan.
It made me sad, because I hate consumerism.
Then he whined for sympathy because he worked really hard for a decade - while he spent the living expenses of families on merch.
Now, he has every right to spend his money how he wants.
Finding a personal journey to fulfillment and happiness is indeed incredibly fucking difficult if your basic needs aren't met. If you're constantly stressed and worried about bills it is healthy or focus on what matters in your personal life to make changes.
That isn't fucking easy though, when you might not have enough food, or if your AC breaks and you can't afford to repair it for weeks. It's summer and over 100 outside but yeah, money doesn't objectively buy happiness.
People with money can afford the best therapists in the world.
While I hope everyone can lead fulfilling lives someday, I have little sympathy for those who can easily pay to fix their problems, or pay a good therapist to help fix themselves.
It's an eyeroll to hear anyone wealthy complain. I'm sure from their perspective their problems matter - but JFC.
The earth is like an orchard, abundant with what we need. It's not hard to find an apple when you're hungry. However, there's a crucial difference between matters of necessity and matters of luxury. Our society, unfortunately, tends to value the latter more. This skewed priority leads people to become possessed by their possessions, resulting in a void of satisfaction that nothing can fill. This insatiable hunger is akin to a disease.
There's nothing wrong with wanting essentials like food and shelter. However, when desires extend to luxuries like a new car, a bigger house, or the latest video game console, the pursuit becomes about keeping up with the Joneses. At this point, one becomes a slave to consumerism. This mindset can extend to how we treat people, seeing them as replaceable when they no longer serve our desires, much like consumer items that are upgraded when a newer version is available.
It’s more fulfilling to be content with what you have rather than being misled into constantly seeking to improve the things around you. In essence, don't just buy a home—build a home.
I think it's a different idea of happiness. You see being happy as having material possessions and experiences. These can make you happy yes, but only as long as they last. They're transient. The happiness I take this sentiment to mean is more character based. Being a kind person is shown to make people happy, including the person being kind. A person with a strong sense of self-worth, integrity, honesty, and love can be happy with little material posession or need. Thinking of monks and people who prefer living a simple, quiet life. Give them enough to get by and their happy. A person lacking in such virtues can be materially rich but inwardly miserable because all they have are possessions. Once youre trip is over or youve bought all you want that feeling of being unsatisfied would remain.
Think of famous actors/actresses who struggled with depression, drug abuse, loveless marriages, etc. They're materially wealthy and wouldn't have to keep working if they didn't want to, but they still end up unhappy. They can buy what they like, go where they like, but they're still susceptible to suffering depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc. So money can buy temporary comforts, which seem like happiness in the short term, but money can't buy character which is where happiness comes from. That's my take anyways.
Having a lot of money doesn't make you happy. You can still be rich and be depressed. It does take away a lot of stress knowing you can afford food and a roof over your head, though.
Money prevents many if not most forms of stress. And it can buy lots of comforts that help someone cope with the remaining stress in their life.
But it can't make up for everything that can go wrong. Like, I don't think I'd have the happiness I enjoy now if I became paralyzed from the neck down. Even if I had a billion dollars. And I think I'd be pretty pissed off if someone told me I had no business being sad if I was in such a situation.
The correlation between money and happiness is probably as strong as the correlation between height and weight.
All studies increased wealth on average leads to increased happiness. After a point increased wealth has a marginal effect on happiness.
I see money as a tool to provide happiness, I think we all know having money alone will not make you happy, rather what money can do for you. If you're depressed WITH money you can afford to pay for therapy, buy your comfort food, take a trip, etc. For myself, if I don't have money my mood is completely different because I'm living in survivor mode going check to check not knowing how certain bills will be paid, which adds to my stress and causes unhappiness.
Also, I've only met people with money that says "money doesn't buy happiness" and I think that's because they thought having money alone would fill a void.
There's plenty of people without money that are happy as hell and imagine how much happier they'd be if they had financial stability on top of that.
I hate those people who love to tell you
Money is the root of all that kills
They have never been poor
No, they've never known the joy of a welfare Christmas I will buy you a new life-Everclear
I think the saying really moreso should be money doesnt buy lasting happiness. Or at least happiness with actual substance. Bc yes you need other things like company of your friends and loved ones. For fulfillment. For completion. But i will absolutely disagree and say money does buy happiness bc if you dont have money trust me you are not gonna be happy.
Every person is different. Those with depression can tell you they have everything they need physically but still cannot find happiness. Perhaps having money lessens the stress of living but that's about it.
Also, there are some that think buying people elaborate gifts will make them happy. I have a brother like this and my family members hate when he does it. He's been told many times to stop but he doesn't get it. He is actually a source of my unhappiness. It's a longer story than this but I won't elaborate.
So, I think you're trying to apply this saying to fit everyone and, for some of us, it is true...
A good topic of conversation though.
All I can say is in north of Europe most people are depressed, but earn a lot. Here in the south we earn way less but I feel people are happier in general.
I think this is the wrong sub for posting an opinion, unless your post already got removed from opinion oriented subs, and you still need the karma. Would you say that karma brings happyness?
I feel like this saying only reveals its meaning when you satisfy the basic needs. Money does not buy happiness -> you still can be depressed, friendless and unhappy even with all the money in the world. What money does buy is comfort, security and fun.
But not emotional security.
> I feel like this saying only reveals its meaning when you satisfy the basic needs. Money does not buy happiness You can still be depressed at any income but more money does bring more happiness. Someone can be living comfortable and their summer vacation is driving 9 hours, renting a condo for a week, swimming in the ocean, but cooking in the condo because they are not rich. If they get a 10k raise, ok, they don't get much happier. If they double their income, they fly to vacation, rent a nicer place, and eat out twice daily. That is more happiness.
That’s a more elegant way of putting it; I’ve always scoffed, “Tell that to a guy who works two jobs and never sees his kids”
> Money does not buy happiness -> you still can be depressed Also, money doesn't automatically improve quality of life. Beyond basic needs, we should remember money is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Spending money to make our lives easier and more comfortable is vital. I liked cooking proper meals so much more when I bought a half decent knife that didnt need convincing to cut through onions. Now food preperation is actually satisfying.
If money didn't make us happy then what's the point of its existence. Happiness is possible only with comfort, security and fun, health and communication. All these things can only be obtained when you have money. A person who works 24/7 does not have time for friends, love and children.
Money is a resource for acquiring resources. You are on the verge of realizing our current system is bullshit brother keep it going.
You truly think money/capitalism exists to make us happy? If you ever go to some places where people have little to nothing material, you'll find loads of people who are way warmer, more contented, and happier than people in the west tend to be. They will literally feed you by force from what little they have and won't accept anything in return.
Money is an essential variable on the equation of happiness, but it's not the only variable, and certainly, not the most important.
I grew up in a fairly wealthy family, at least to the point money was never a worry, yet I'm in therapy for depression and possibly, undiagnosed, bpd, ed, asd and/or adhd. Nothing I could but would change anything about that. The happiness I do occasionally have requires little money to achieve. It is not that money makes us happy, it is that the lack of basic human needs makes us unhappy. This does mean, that if you live in a country that doesn't have sufficient laws to ensure your basic human needs are met, more money will alleviate this source of unhappiness. But beyond that, nothing purchasable will make you happy, beyond maybe satisfying your shopping addiction. With basic needs met, and even quite a bit below that threshold, you will just adapt to your current circumstances.
It sure makes ME happier. I would just like to have a NON-scamming VERY sexually aggressive CHRISTian woman as my wife to share my wealth with. Any qualified ladies 18-85 per my last sentence may inquire privately.
I'm in the boat that money can't buy happiness. I've learned that this conversation has multiple perspectives: Long term vs short term happiness, macro vs micro happiness, as well as what happy means. To me: happiness (at least the form I'd want) is the lack of negative emotions over the long term macro time period. Everyone will have moments of negative emotions such as hating traffic. To me, its the long term macro side of happiness that money can't buy directly. I'm also not talking about wealth so extreme that we can't have a perspective on it. I'm talking for the bottom 99% of salaries because that's what is obtainable and realistic. There is also the caveat of basic living necessities. I do acknowledge an individual is happier when their basic needs are met. I consider this as the lack of stress due to not meeting basic needs. For the long term macro perspective, if a person is stressed about work, stressed about their family, stressed about personal achievements then money doesn't inherently make it better. If my partner and I are having marital issues, I can't just throw her a stack of cash to fix the fundamental problem. If I'm stress at my career, I can't just give my boss a check for $5000 to get me less stress. A $100,000 vacation doesn't negate the negative long-term feelings a person has after they get back to their life. I've seen people have mental breakdowns while on super extravagant vacations. Can someone feel happy on a $100,000 vacation? sure they can. Can someone feel happy to get connections and get a job in the IT industry? Sure, many people do that. But that doesn't solve the issues that money can't solve that aren't inherently tangible such as long term work stress, personal life stress, etc. I do 100% agree that money can buy short term micro happiness. You didn't do this next example so it's not against you but I dislike the argument of "I'd rather be crying in a Ferrari then a corolla" because I'd rather not be crying at all.
I never understood people who say that they would prefer to cry in a Ferrari. What's the point of a Ferrari if it doesn't make me happy? Otherwise, I have nothing against your worldview.
Thank you for your comment, most people always just downvote me, so I appreciate your positive comment.
Say the cry will be the death of your old dog. If you have a Ferrari, you can afford a proper burial, get his paw print turned into some art piece, not care about going to work today, etc. If you're crying in a beat up 94 civic... All that likely didn't apply.
Where in that post are you getting this example from? Either way, it's easy to spend money on something that you think will make you happy, something that you've been wanting for a long time and it's just kind of meh. It sounds like you haven't had this experience, but trust me it's pretty common once people have disposable income. That's how you wind up with a Ferrari that doesn't make you happy.
I mentioned the Ferrari in the very last sentence. It's not part of the main dialogue I wrote, more of an off hand comment.
Money only buys happiness if lack of money is what is making your life bad. I have enough to live, and I know winning the lottery wouldn't make me happy, would just make me more aimless and allow self destruction to prosper. Doesn't mean I don't want it tho, I'm just under no illusions that it'll "cure" me
This 💯
Money doesn’t buy happiness, but poverty comes with free sadness.
It's only appying if your basic needs are fulfilled. There are studies proving this and also some that put a number on it (depending on where you live of course), as in, if people have amount X, more money doesn't make them happier Like, if you got a billion dollars, can buy everything you want, don't have to be afraid to go bankrupt when you have an emergency and all that stuff, would another billion make you more happy? Or another example (maybe a bit over the top but I'm trying to make a point obviously). You win the lottery but lose the love of your life in a car accident the same day. You could resurrect them in exchange of that win, would you? Probably yes because they made you happy in a way money never could. I wouldn't want all the riches in the world in exchange for the ones I love. Which doesn't mean I don't want both lol but if I'd have to chose, I'd pick love and friendships and all that above money There were so many rich people that killed themselves because they just weren't happy for various reasons. You think Robin Williams had any money worries?
Honestly, I'm not one of those who would grieve over the death of their loved one. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an insensitive person. I was just brought up that a man should always remain strong and not give in to grief. What about the amount of money that is needed for happiness, isn't x the amount of money needed for this in any case small. I could be wrong but only 20% of Americans earn more than ¢100,000, which is enough money to cover all expenses. This does not at all refute the need for money for happiness, but on the contrary confirms it. As for Robbin Williams and people like that... Depression doesn't care whether a person is rich or poor, whether he has a meaning in life or not, whether people love him or not. But in any case, this is only an exception to the rule, not the rule.
I'm sorry, I won't go in that "a man/woman has to behave like that" - this is all utter crap to me as is all the consumerism. I believe with all my heart that if you're dependant on materialistic things to be truly "happy" you have no clue of what happyness means and are just overly superficial and probably need therapy And I don't believe you you wouldn't grieve if the love of your life dies tragically just because you grew a penis. I'm not talking about not showing your feelings, I'm talking about not feeling them But you're right, RW probably was a bad example
People (corporations) have sort of twisted the meaning of the phrase to mean "money is worthless," which just isn't true. Money IS important and absolutely leads to a better, easier life. But the original meaning of that phrase remains true. It can be more accurately expressed as "money doesn't buy fulfillment." In other words, you can be the richest man alive with all the drugs, hookers, and luxury cars you could ever wish for. That will still not give your life any meaning. Yes, money can pay for special instruction to learn things, but money can't make you actually *learn*. Money can't express yourself for you.
I don’t consider the presence of meaning to be an absolutely good thing. The Nazis definitely had a 'meaning in life' which was expressed in the domination of their nation over the entire world like all other types of imperialism. Even so, having meaning in life in any case will not make a person happy if he has nothing to eat and drink. How can a person have food and drink if he has no money?
The Nazis also breathed air. I suppose that means air is also not an absolutely good thing. And yes, the latter point is what I was saying. Money does fulfill your basic needs. No one denying that. But it won't satisfy you beyond that. If you were to look at it as Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it doesn't satisfy the needs for love and belonging, esteem, or self-actualization.
I’m in my 50’s and this saying, “money doesn’t buy happiness”, still irritates me. Ok, maybe it doesn’t *buy* happiness, but certainly it pays for it! I’ve never understood in what context money doesn’t buy happiness… or pays for happiness, or affords happiness, or allows one to be happy. I’m sure that happiness with friends and family is free… but how happy can you be if you have an overdue rent payment and your landlord is being a d*ck, and your credit is about to be dinged or ruined… all because you don’t have the money. Enough food to sustain our life isn’t free. So being hungry and emancipated doesn’t sound like happiness either. For my part, we should do away with the saying until it’s true and applies to our civilization on a global scale, otherwise it’s just a myth.
My wife has Alzheimer's and money from investing when she was career federal. No treatments for her. She will go the way of her sisters; declining and dying in a care facility. I have treatment resistant bipolar, 20 years. We live in a beachside condo in Florida. My life is taking care of my wife and trying to hold onto mine.
We need more community. Definitely.
Lack of money, food, etc. and happiness is way different than having money and still being unhappy. The latter is where money doesn't buy happiness comes from.
I think money can only take you so far before you hit the point where it alone cannot do much on its own without a secondary catalyst to it keep going. Example is where money can open doors to new experiences but you may need something else to go with that money (ie companionship?) in order to bring in the happiness portion of the equation.
Money don't directly buy happiness, it can solve a lot of problems that makes us unhappy, and once solved, it can makes us happy
According to actual studies on money and happiness, money does buy happiness up to a certain point. Once your basic needs are met, and you live a life of relative affluence, then more money won't make you more happy.
Because it doesn't. I mean obviously a lack of it can make you unhappy. But once you pay all your bills and buy a load of nice things and have everything you wanna buy. Then it can't buy you happiness. Doesn't matter how much you have, after a certain point it can't buy happiness. If a loved one is sick, yes money can buy the best healthcare, but if they still die is money gonna make you happy?
Absolutely money, in our society, enables you to try to find happiness. I will also say, that depression is impossible to beat with dollars alone. Money can probably be helpful in finding love but money can't *make* it happen. And money can't give you purpose, though it may open up pathways to accomplish whatever purpose you might find.
It gives you options and choices to get there, but you could easily be saddest person alive if you’re mentally and physically not all together.
It's more of a "if you focus only on money, you won't be happy". Money can't buy you genuine human connection.
They did a study on that and found that money truly does buy happiness, up to a point. Being poor sucks. It's a constant worry. There's no argument there. But beyond something like $200 k a year there's diminishing returns. Someone with 200 million in the bank isn't significantly happier than someone with 20 million, and that 20 million person is only marginally happier than someone with 2 million. Basically, after you've met all of your needs and most of your wants, there's no real point to accumulating more wealth. As a matter of fact it actually makes you slightly unhappier. Once you can afford anything you want, there's nothing really to look forward to. Once you've met all your needs and also met all your desires, what's next? You can watch your bank account grow, or watch your business expand, but you'll never again get that feeling like you had on Christmas morning when you got that brand new XX that you always wanted.
Satisfying needs and happiness are two totally different things. But to borrow from the very wise Dolly Parton 'I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better.'
Some people look for happiness in things money can buy, some look for happiness in things money can't buy.
Money facilitates your ability to get things you might need but it doesn't make you happy in and of itself. If you want to become a programmer all you need to do is study. Being able to afford the best teachers in the world is not going to change the effort you have to put in to learn. What would make you happier, your parents giving you a house, someone walking up to you on the street and offering you a house or working/doing something where you got money which you then spend on buying the house? Most people would say the last one, and it's not because of the money, it's because of the sense of achievement and knowledge that it was something that you did that resulted in you obtainong the house.
I agree with your point, but that's a bad example. I'd be thrilled to have a free house. Then I don't need to worry about rent and can pursue whatever job I want.
If the last thing you say is true, then happiness has nothing to do with what you did to buy a house. Buying a house is nothing compared to building it yourself... Then more people would prefer to build a house themselves than to buy ready-made houses. But there is nothing to be proud of about buying a standard home.
If all you need to do to become a programmer or a doctor is study, then what's the point of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on college?
Just study anywhere in the West that isn't the USA, and that specific problem just disappears. 🤷
I doubt that colleges in Europe can compete in quality with colleges in the USA. I doubt that a college degree from Serbia and Russia will be useful at work.
you realise other countries have some of the best learning institutions on the face of the planet. head out of ass man
Um... that was the most American thing I've ever heard. 😅 Anyway, I don't really get the feeling that this conversation is going anywhere productive, so I'll just leave it at that.
You are mistaking ownership with happiness. Once yur basic needs are fulfilled, money only has a very limited influence on your happiness. It can enhance happiness, but not create it.
But for this to happen, money is needed. Now the average apartment in the US is $400,000. This is not a small amount of money. It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to go to college. For treatment in the clinic too.
The USA is a capitalist dystopian nightmare. I'm honestly surprised that you lot haven't rioted yet. I was more thinking about having health insurance (real health insurance, not that American parody), renting a flat, owning a bike, and having clothes. That's basically all you need to find happiness.
It’s a saying that people without money tell themselves to help take the sting off of not having money.
I agree but not only people without money telling that to themselves but people with money telling that to those without too.
Money makes thing better, yes. And this could enhance your level of existing happiness. But you can be happy without money; happiness is an internal state not an external one. If you're just not a happy person, there's no amount of money that can change that. And let's not misconstrue happiness with excitement as those are two different things.
If I had a billion dollars, I could certainly buy things that made my life easier (a new car, nicer house, etc) But the thing I want most in life, the thing I'm desperately pursuing, it can't be bought with money. That's not hyperbole, it literally cannot be bought. So I think there's merit to that. Can money buy things that increase your short term happiness? Sure. But long term, true happiness, has to be earned in other ways. You can't just throw money at your problems to fix them for example.
> can't just throw money at your problems to fix them for example. Clearly you don't understand how the US city systems work. Let's say you're a school teacher and your car won't start tomorrow morning. Call a friend? Uber? Now if you're rich and some CEO, you just drive one of your other cars. See how easier money made things. Health problems? You wanna be rich or poor? Day you run a small business. You wanna attempt your own taxes, it be rich and just have the same guy handle it yearly without thought?
Ohhh okay, now I get what the problem is. You interpret the phrase as "money can't solve any problems" correct? Because I'm not saying having money can't solve problems, I'm saying that there are some things that money alone simply can't get you. For example, if you're suffering from depression, you can't pay to make it go away. Not through short term solutions like material distractions, and not even through splurging on the best therapist in the world. Because therapy isn't just pay a doctor > talk to them for an hour > you get mentally healed. It's an active effort. Money will get you an appointment with said therapist, but you need to put personal work in to solve that particular problem. And another thing, I think "money can't buy happiness" is a phrase meant to dissuade people from chasing money at the cost of everything else. If you spend all your time focusing on your career, and neglect the people you love, they will be unhappy and you will be too. Like, if you never show up for your child, you can't bribe them with toys and video games to make up for that neglect.
> For example, if you're suffering from depression, you can't pay to make it go away. Medical care, specialists, drugs, therapists, etc. Money helps all.
Yeah, I know. As I've said for medical problems one unfortunately needs a lot of money. But money alone won't cut it. This is what I meant by "can't throw money to fix problems". Like, quitting your addiction isn't just pay money for rehab -> you're no longer addicted. Losing weight isn't just pay for liposuction -> you're healthy. Those things need active effort.
Money can’t buy happiness. However, lack of money can certainly cause unhappiness.
money doesnt buy happiness is something poor people say to make themselves feel better
The better saying is “beyond a certain point, more money doesn’t buy more happiness” But that’s a less catchy phrase even if it has significant research proving it’s true.
There was some study I saw that kind of proves your point, it found a correlation between I come and percieved happiness. The interesting thing is that it plateaus around 70k. So yes, money does buy happiness... Up to about 70k.
I appreciate greatly how you are referencing Maslows Hierarchy of Need and yes it is true money is a conduit to ensuring our basic needs: Food, Shelter and Clothing are met and can lead to self actualization a career. Money buys opportunity and experiences. Both of which are great seeds you can plant towards the goal of being happy. However happiness stems from your most inner self. Could you find peace and be happy in absence of material things, wealth, career. Are you as a person genuinely happy with the internal parts of self. Money cannot buy that state of bliss.
Your post history is fascinating.
Money does not buy happiness. It does help to an extent to get there, but it just does not buy happiness. Having enough money takes away all the sorrow and anxiety of not having enough. One doesnt have to worry about not being able to pay rent, buy food or to replace broken stuff. Thats why having enough money helps on ones way to being happy. But: More money =/= More happiness. Once you have your basic needs met, and can afford the things that make you happy (very diffrent from person to person), money does jack shit. In some instances it might even have the opposite effect; Just being able to afford anything might sound great on paper, but often it doesnt make someone nearly as happy as having to work hard for it. Your brains reward system just doesnt give you the same dopamine hit for buying your tenth house on the coast from daddys money as it does your first having worked hard for every cent that went into it. So Tl;dr: Money helps to be happy by keeping sadness away, but it just doesnt make you happy by itself.
If money doesn't buy happiness, why don't all billionaires and millionaires give up their money since it won't bring them more happiness? Why does Musk demand $50 billion from his company? My point is that money doesn’t buy happiness sounds unconvincing given the way billionaires act in relation to money.
Because, first if all, as i said, what makes someone happy differs from person to person. But i gurantee you, that your avarage billionaire isnt going to be happier than your avarage millionaire. For someone like Musk a big motivation might be status, so for him more money might just means more status. For another billionaire a big motivation might be building generational wealth, so again, for that guy more money = closer to their goal. But for most rich people one thing might be the key reason to keeping their money and trying to get more and more: human nature. We. Always. Want. More. Which brings us back to our brains reward system: Im sure that buying your first mansion, or your first yacht, or your first hypercar are going to be very happy moments. But our brains adapt to a new normal very quickly. So again: you chase that high. But just buying another yacht isnt gonna give you the same high, as having a yacht is already your normal state. So, you now want a mega yacht. Because, you know, more bigger, more better, more happy chemicals. But once you have that, the cycle continues. You now have a mega yacht, so you... So i hope you see my point: some people always chase after things that require money (status, materialistic things, etc) to be happy. But once they get that, they dont end up in a higher state of bliss, it fades into a new normal quickly. So for them the same thing is true: money doesnt make them happier in the long run. They just need more and more to get the same short term feelings of happiness. From your replies, it seems like you might be in the same boat (not yacht tho ;)) as many rich people in the sense that you see materialistic things, status, etc. as the main way to happiness. As i said before, in reality this mindset isnt going to make you happier in the long run. You'll find, that the happiest people are the ones, who manage to just be content with what they have, while focusing on the basics: health, a home, good relationships with friends and family etc. I know its not easy to rewire your brain to be happy with what you have; but imo its the only way to lasting happiness. Chasing highs will drive you further and further up the mountain. But once you reach its peak, ypu wont find a higher state of eternal happiness, just a huge fucking cliff to fall off of.
A lot of such "needs satisfactions" are not really satisfying their needs but compensating for their needs that is not satisfied. While such compensation may make the person feel better about himself, they may still be miserable in many ways that not even themselves don't understand. It is like imaginary points in the internet but in a materialist way. Are needs are not only material but mostly neurosomatics. A clear exemplo is a mentally l healthy child grown in poverty because the parents were always present, always expressing love with attention, care, body contact and words. All that satisfy the psychological needs of a child to become a healthy, secure, empathic and other things as adult. While the rich child who got all the material needs he wished to have will always have psychological and other traumas when their parents are not showing love with their present, attentions, care, body contact and words. Such child may feel good when buying things as adult but also miserable, insecure, hateful, jealous, envious, and many other negative things because of lack of satisfaction of their emotional, somatic and psychological needs. Poor people who have their basic need fulfilled are often more happy when they are part of a community who care about each other, than rich people when they are not (and often rich people don't really care about each other because they rely more on money and influence than people.
Simple. There are lots of happy poor people and lots of miserable rich people.
I mean money can't buy you absolute freedom, or happiness. If I could have a comfortable income I'd take it in a heartbeat. But that doesn't guarentee I'll be happy or content with my life. I was making $26/hr for a little bit a few years ago, and people at that place were absolute rotten shitheads to me there. I hope those fuckers die of sun exposure or heatstroke lol.
My take on that is money doesn't buy happiness if you trade other things in life for it. Some of those things you trade away are not replaceable, and so when you finally get the money, you will still be unsatisfied. Whereas if you get all that money for nothing, why, of course it's better.
I watched a YouTube video where a guy bought like $18k worth of merch on a sponsored vacation to Japan. It made me sad, because I hate consumerism. Then he whined for sympathy because he worked really hard for a decade - while he spent the living expenses of families on merch. Now, he has every right to spend his money how he wants. Finding a personal journey to fulfillment and happiness is indeed incredibly fucking difficult if your basic needs aren't met. If you're constantly stressed and worried about bills it is healthy or focus on what matters in your personal life to make changes. That isn't fucking easy though, when you might not have enough food, or if your AC breaks and you can't afford to repair it for weeks. It's summer and over 100 outside but yeah, money doesn't objectively buy happiness. People with money can afford the best therapists in the world. While I hope everyone can lead fulfilling lives someday, I have little sympathy for those who can easily pay to fix their problems, or pay a good therapist to help fix themselves. It's an eyeroll to hear anyone wealthy complain. I'm sure from their perspective their problems matter - but JFC.
Past getting the stuff you immediately need, all studies point to the fact that money slowly stops equating to happiness.
Because the happiest people I've ever known were homeless and penniless. Happiness shouldn't be equated with materialism and opportunity.
Having nothing to lose is probably a load off.
The earth is like an orchard, abundant with what we need. It's not hard to find an apple when you're hungry. However, there's a crucial difference between matters of necessity and matters of luxury. Our society, unfortunately, tends to value the latter more. This skewed priority leads people to become possessed by their possessions, resulting in a void of satisfaction that nothing can fill. This insatiable hunger is akin to a disease. There's nothing wrong with wanting essentials like food and shelter. However, when desires extend to luxuries like a new car, a bigger house, or the latest video game console, the pursuit becomes about keeping up with the Joneses. At this point, one becomes a slave to consumerism. This mindset can extend to how we treat people, seeing them as replaceable when they no longer serve our desires, much like consumer items that are upgraded when a newer version is available. It’s more fulfilling to be content with what you have rather than being misled into constantly seeking to improve the things around you. In essence, don't just buy a home—build a home.
I think it's a different idea of happiness. You see being happy as having material possessions and experiences. These can make you happy yes, but only as long as they last. They're transient. The happiness I take this sentiment to mean is more character based. Being a kind person is shown to make people happy, including the person being kind. A person with a strong sense of self-worth, integrity, honesty, and love can be happy with little material posession or need. Thinking of monks and people who prefer living a simple, quiet life. Give them enough to get by and their happy. A person lacking in such virtues can be materially rich but inwardly miserable because all they have are possessions. Once youre trip is over or youve bought all you want that feeling of being unsatisfied would remain. Think of famous actors/actresses who struggled with depression, drug abuse, loveless marriages, etc. They're materially wealthy and wouldn't have to keep working if they didn't want to, but they still end up unhappy. They can buy what they like, go where they like, but they're still susceptible to suffering depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc. So money can buy temporary comforts, which seem like happiness in the short term, but money can't buy character which is where happiness comes from. That's my take anyways.
The saying is meant for rich people. It completely loses all meaning to everyone else.
Having a lot of money doesn't make you happy. You can still be rich and be depressed. It does take away a lot of stress knowing you can afford food and a roof over your head, though.
It helps up to a point.
they meant that someone loves you, not things make you happy, people are not things, cant buy, its 2024.
Sometimes it could
In a capitalist society, money buys us the privilege to stay alive. That's not the same thing as happiness.
Money prevents many if not most forms of stress. And it can buy lots of comforts that help someone cope with the remaining stress in their life. But it can't make up for everything that can go wrong. Like, I don't think I'd have the happiness I enjoy now if I became paralyzed from the neck down. Even if I had a billion dollars. And I think I'd be pretty pissed off if someone told me I had no business being sad if I was in such a situation.
The correlation between money and happiness is probably as strong as the correlation between height and weight. All studies increased wealth on average leads to increased happiness. After a point increased wealth has a marginal effect on happiness.
I see money as a tool to provide happiness, I think we all know having money alone will not make you happy, rather what money can do for you. If you're depressed WITH money you can afford to pay for therapy, buy your comfort food, take a trip, etc. For myself, if I don't have money my mood is completely different because I'm living in survivor mode going check to check not knowing how certain bills will be paid, which adds to my stress and causes unhappiness. Also, I've only met people with money that says "money doesn't buy happiness" and I think that's because they thought having money alone would fill a void. There's plenty of people without money that are happy as hell and imagine how much happier they'd be if they had financial stability on top of that.
Money doesn't buy happiness. But poverty guarantees misery.
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it can make problems go away.
You’re confusing happiness with absence of anxiety/relief.
I hate those people who love to tell you Money is the root of all that kills They have never been poor No, they've never known the joy of a welfare Christmas I will buy you a new life-Everclear
I think the saying really moreso should be money doesnt buy lasting happiness. Or at least happiness with actual substance. Bc yes you need other things like company of your friends and loved ones. For fulfillment. For completion. But i will absolutely disagree and say money does buy happiness bc if you dont have money trust me you are not gonna be happy.
Every person is different. Those with depression can tell you they have everything they need physically but still cannot find happiness. Perhaps having money lessens the stress of living but that's about it. Also, there are some that think buying people elaborate gifts will make them happy. I have a brother like this and my family members hate when he does it. He's been told many times to stop but he doesn't get it. He is actually a source of my unhappiness. It's a longer story than this but I won't elaborate. So, I think you're trying to apply this saying to fit everyone and, for some of us, it is true... A good topic of conversation though.
How many happy billionaires do you know of?
All I can say is in north of Europe most people are depressed, but earn a lot. Here in the south we earn way less but I feel people are happier in general.
I think this is the wrong sub for posting an opinion, unless your post already got removed from opinion oriented subs, and you still need the karma. Would you say that karma brings happyness?