THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS.

THE ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS. One of my frequently read blogs, The Happiness Project, has a post exploring the question “Can money buy happiness?” It is a thoughtful and considerate article. Here are some of the highlights:

* It depends on what kind of person you are. Money means different things to different people. You might love to collect modern art, or you might love to rent old movies. You might have six children and ailing, dependent parents, or you might have no children and robust parents.

* It depends on how you spend your money. Some purchases are more likely to contribute to your happiness than others. You might buy cocaine, or you might buy a dog. You might splurge on a new dining room table, or you might splurge on a personal trainer.

* It depends on how much money you have relative to the people around you, and relative to your own experience. One person’s fortune is another person’s misfortune

I agree with all these points. Over the years I’ve observed how differently people treat money. Some people see money as security; others see it as an opportunity to travel; still others view money as an opportunity to accumulate more money. I wonder, perhaps another key to happiness is deciding what view of money you have.

When money or health is a problem, you think about it all the time; when it’s not a problem, you don’t think much about it. Both money and health contribute to happiness mostly in the negative; the lack of them brings much more unhappiness than possessing them brings happiness. One of the greatest luxuries that money and health provide is the freedom from having to think about them.

Another very good point, although of course it’s not without its exceptions. I’ve known some people who define themselves by how much money they have when they have a lot, instead of not thinking about it because they have plenty.

I recommend the blog The Happiness Project highly.