Self-Help Happiness Blog

Look at how many people live on less than $2 per day!  This is incredible.  Imagine living on what would buy you no more than a handful of rice and beans and perhaps a glass of milk.  No clothes.  No shelter.  No vehicle.  Not even Internet access.

OK, that’s not completely true.  Many of these people have makeshift houses they build themselves.  And many of them have access to in-season fruits and vegetables.  And most do have some meager clothing.  But none of them will be reading this — even those who can read — because Internet is not something even within their world.

Do I mention this to make you sad?  No, quite the contrary.  You should feel lucky, blessed, fortunate and generous as a result of the blessings you have.  Enough of the “if only I had…” or “if only I could…” or “I just have to get one of those…”  We are all living in the lap of luxury, even most of those who are labeled “poor” have more than the majority of people living today, and an even greater majority of people living throughout history.

In an article entitled Money tilts the happiness scale, a persuasive argument is made that money and happiness are connected.  More specifically, wealth and happiness.  The article suggests that with wealth comes the ability to spend more time doing things we really enjoy, rather than things that are unpleasant (such as earning income).  If money buys a housekeeper, for example, that eliminates time spent doing housework.  If, on the other hand, money buys a fancy car and you still have to do the housework, the money probably hasn’t made you any happier.

It should be noted that “work” is one of those activities that does not bring most people happiness, so the pursuit of money is not the pursuit of happiness.  Wealth, not income, is positively correlated with happiness.