Money Does Not Guarantee Happiness
Introduction
Possessing an enormous sum of money and fortune has become one of many people’s main goals and ultimate purpose in life, especially the younger generations, regardless their nationality. Many are convinced throughout their lives that happiness can be bought with the existence money. But does possessing a large fortune and being loaded really bring happiness to one’s life? To answer this question, one should know the meaning of the words ‘happiness’ and ‘money’.
As quoted by the legendary Mahatma Ghandi, “Happiness is what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”. A famous philosopher named Aristotle also quoted, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”
The word ‘happiness’ itself is very hard to define as it has a different meaning in different context. Different people have different interpretations of what happiness means to them. In general, ‘happiness’ is success in life. Success in life cannot always be measured in material wise. It is achieved when one is satisfied with the achievements made, feeling at ease with his current life and enjoying life to the fullest.
Most people don't spend much time wondering what money is. Their major concern is how much money they have, and how to get more. Money isn't just pieces of paper. It is a type of medium of exchange in transactions.
Some people argue that without wealth you cannot be happy. Money can’t buy happiness directly as money alone does not guarantee happiness. In this written assignment, there will be some arguments supporting the statement ‘Money does not guarantee happiness’ and further clarifications on the statement.
Arguments
Lately there have been numerous articles written in the newspapers and magazines relating to the way how the rich and powerful live their lives. At first, it was a shock the whole world when articles are written about them taking drugs, being rehabilitated and some even took their own lives away.
Possessing an enormous sum of money and fortune has become one of many people’s main goals and ultimate purpose in life, especially the younger generations, regardless their nationality. Many are convinced throughout their lives that happiness can be bought with the existence money. But does possessing a large fortune and being loaded really bring happiness to one’s life? To answer this question, one should know the meaning of the words ‘happiness’ and ‘money’.
As quoted by the legendary Mahatma Ghandi, “Happiness is what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony”. A famous philosopher named Aristotle also quoted, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”
The word ‘happiness’ itself is very hard to define as it has a different meaning in different context. Different people have different interpretations of what happiness means to them. In general, ‘happiness’ is success in life. Success in life cannot always be measured in material wise. It is achieved when one is satisfied with the achievements made, feeling at ease with his current life and enjoying life to the fullest.
Most people don't spend much time wondering what money is. Their major concern is how much money they have, and how to get more. Money isn't just pieces of paper. It is a type of medium of exchange in transactions.
Some people argue that without wealth you cannot be happy. Money can’t buy happiness directly as money alone does not guarantee happiness. In this written assignment, there will be some arguments supporting the statement ‘Money does not guarantee happiness’ and further clarifications on the statement.
Arguments
Lately there have been numerous articles written in the newspapers and magazines relating to the way how the rich and powerful live their lives. At first, it was a shock the whole world when articles are written about them taking drugs, being rehabilitated and some even took their own lives away.
References: 1. Gardner, J. and A. Oswald: 2001, ‘Does money buy happiness? A longitudinal study using data on windfalls’, Working Paper (Economics Department University of Warwick). 2. Hirschman, A.O.: 1982, ‘Rival interpretations of market society: Civilizing, destructive, or feeble?’, Journal of Economic Literature 20, pp. 1463–1484. 3. `Happiness of the Very Wealthy, ' in `Social Indicators Research ' 4. Landhuis E., August 2005, ‘Can Buy Me Happiness.’, Science Now 5. Cornell’s Dr. Alice Isen, ‘Where Happiness Lies’, American Psychological Association. 6. Kahneman, D., Krueger, A. B., Schkade, D., Schwarz, N., & Stone, A. A. (2006). Would You Be Happier If You Were Richer? A Focusing Illusion. Science, 312, 1908-1910. 7. Wyld, David C., February 2011, ‘Does More Money Buy More Happiness on the Job?’, Academy of Management Perspectives 8. Hsee C., Yang Y., Li N., Shen L., June 2009, ‘Wealth, Warmth, and Well-Being: Whether Happiness Is Relative or Absolute Depends on Whether It Is About Money, Acquisition, or Consumption.’, Journal of Marketing Research.