It Turns Out Money Can Buy Happiness

[Revoltingest]

Science proves it: Money really can buy happiness
Science proves it: Money really can buy happiness

They say money can’t buy happiness, but science begs to differ.

An international research team has demonstrated that you really can make yourself happier by paying other people to do your time-consuming chores.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor, the new study suggests. If you feel pressed for time, your life satisfaction can be improved by trading money for minutes that you can use as you wish.

The researchers, led by Ashley Whillans, a new professor at the Harvard Business School, began with survey data from nearly 4,500 people from the United States, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands. Survey-takers were asked whether they paid other people to do “unenjoyable daily tasks” in order to “increase their free time.”

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

I don't see an argument for money buying happiness there. That's the claim, but I really doubt that having a maid, gardener, personal shopper, or any other kind of paid help will make one happy. Money buys two things: freedom from privation (and the worry of privation), and additional opportunities to pursue happiness. You still need to find happiness yourself with wise choices. It's not in your wallet.

 

[Quetzal]

I think there is a point of diminishing returns that usually happens when your net salary exceeds $100k. I remember reading that somewhere but I could be mistaken.

 

[bobhikes]

There's a scientific study that shows the more free time you have the more depression you have. Being busy no matter what it is keeps us happy. So unless they are doing other things with the free time, it wont make them happy and they would be just as happy doing the mundane stuff.

 

[Augustus]

Probably better to say that money can remove sources of unhappiness (or perhaps obstacles to happiness) such as chores, commute times, etc. Depends on how you use the extra time really and also how pressed for time you are in the first place.

I've got a maid and can't say it makes me massively overjoyed or that my QOL diminishes at all when she's on holiday.

 

[Quetzal]

There's a scientific study that shows the more free time you have the more depression you have.

Is it free time or just the act of doing nothing?

 

[Deidre]

I guess it depends on how one defines happiness.

 

[Revoltingest]

Money can buy happiness.
But not all spend their money wisely.

 

[Quetzal]

Money can buy happiness.
But not all spend their money wisely.

Would hookers and drugs be seen as a wise investment?

 

[Revoltingest]

Would hookers and drugs be seen as a wise investment?

Hookers & bacon would be better.

 

[Wu Wei]

Money can buy happiness.
But not all spend their money wisely.

This is true....once knew a woman, who was a manager in a hospital receptionist department, that received a lot of money from an insurance settlement her husband was part of...... she promptly told everyone she worked with, and for, what she thought of them, and then went about paying off all her kids houses, her house, purchased another vacation home, purchased an INCREDIBLY large boat, expensive cars, expensive trips and.....promptly spent herself into the poor house..in less than a year......she ended up back at the hospital, after begging for her old job back, as a receptionist, answering to the one woman she released much vitriol on when she left...this woman had her old job and was now her supervisor....now that is both ironic and rather sad

 

[Revoltingest]

This is true....once knew a woman, who was a manager in a hospital receptionist department, that received a lot of money from an insurance settlement her husband was part of...... she promptly told everyone she worked with, and for, what she thought of them, and then went about paying off all her kids houses, her house, purchased another vacation home, purchased an INCREDIBLY large boat, expensive cars, expensive trips and.....promptly spent herself into the poor house..in less than a year......she ended up back at the hospital, after begging for her old job back, as a receptionist, answering to the one woman she released much vitriol on when she left...this woman had her old job and was now her supervisor....now that is both ironic and rather sad

Sad?
I find it wry humor.

 

[LuisDantas]

Money, IMO, is mainly an enabler of freedoms and choices.

Happiness is satisfaction with the situations that one finds.

One can lead to the other when one is sufficiently skilled and informed. But there is no warranty.

 

[Wu Wei]

Sad?
I find it wry humor.

oh don't get me wrong, I was not saying it was a sad story, it was more sad she actually had no clue that burning bridges was a bad thing and that she had no idea of how to manager her windfall. I rather liked the irony of the entire thing. There was this GIGANTIC boat sitting in her yard for months afterward...with a for sale sign on it..... she was, at that point, deep in debt, selling all of her stuff trying to pay it off just to keep her house. She did manage to keep it by the way....but the extra house, boat and cars were all gone.... was getting to work via rides and cab when I left that hospitals employ.

 

[Revoltingest]

oh don't get me wrong, I was not saying it was a sad story, it was more sad she actually had no clue that burning bridges was a bad thing and that she had no idea of how to manager her windfall. I rather liked the irony of the entire thing. There was this GIGANTIC boat sitting in her yard for months afterward...with a for sale sign on it..... she was, at that point, deep in debt, selling all of her stuff trying to pay it off just to keep her house. She did manage to keep it by the way....but the extra house, boat and cars were all gone.... was getting to work via rides and cab when I left that hospitals employ.

Next time she wins the big one,
she'll know to handle it better.

 

[Wu Wei]

Next time she wins the big one,
she'll know to handle it better.

She might, but as far as I know, she never did and that was about 30 years ago. I imagine she is retired by now, that is if she could afford it. She was in her late 40s then.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I think there is a point of diminishing returns that usually happens when your net salary exceeds $100k. I remember reading that somewhere but I could be mistaken.

Yea. There's some rich people out there with some crummy lives. I think past a certain threshold, excessive money can actually be detrimental for a person's health and well being.

 

[Revoltingest]

Yea. There's some rich people out there with some crummy lives. I think past a certain threshold, excessive money can actually be detrimental for a person's health and well being.

I'd be willing to experiment with having excessive money....for science.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'd be willing to experiment with having excessive money....for science.

Not me.

Mansions built like fortresses, armed security, not knowing who your true friends are..... No thanks.


Just give me enough to pay off my bills, food and shelter, be debt free with a few luxuries, and some savings to spare.

I'll be richer than any billionaire out there in more ways than one.

 

[Revoltingest]

Not me.

Mansions built like fortresses, armed security, not knowing who your true friends are..... No thanks.


Just give me enough to pay off my bills, food and shelter, be debt free with a few luxuries, and some savings to spare.

I'll be richer than any billionaire out there in more ways than one.

I'll brave those risks for science.