Can Money Buy Happiness

A week ago, when WorldCom honcho Bernie Ebbers did the perp walkhe did not appear too happy. The Enron men? Same story. Got rich. Not happy. All could have averted their fates had they paid attention to science. There's been an explosion in pleasure research. The field has its own peer reviewed novel called Journal of Happiness Studies, with posts such as Psychosocial Variables Character, and Life Satisfaction of Gay Men. - In any case, the preponderance of research that runs to analysis from studies of the mind indicates that happiness can't be, in fact, bought by money. Money cannot buy you love.


Worshipping Mammon foments evil ways. Materialists are shallow and unhappy. The greenback finds itself in times that are tough today. Whether its Wall Street bankers earning multi two little city supervisors or million dollar bonuses bring in higher salaries than President Barack Obama the economic climate has helped spur revulsion and outrage in those of lucre amassing. Wealthy people have a bad rep. Surethere are philanthropists such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, who've given billions of their worth off and have made the world place. But, sadly, they're an exception. Households who make over $300 donate to charity a mere 4% of their incomes.

The statistic should not be surprising, as research by University of Minnesota psychologist Kathleen Vohs and her collaborators have demonstrated that glimpsing dollar invoices makes individuals egocentric and approachable, and less generous. Now come a brand new set of studies that uncover yet another toll that money takes. An international team of researchers led by Jordi Quoidbach report from the August 2010 issue of Psychological Science which, although wealth might grant us opportunities to buy many things, it simultaneously impairs our capability to enjoy those things. Their first study, conducted together with adult employees of the University of Lige in Belgium showed that the wealthier the employees have been, the less likely they have been to exhibit a strong ability to savor positive experiences in the lives.

In addition, simply being reminded of money dampened their savoring ability. Quoidbach and his co-workers second study was even cleverer. Participants aged 16 to 59 recruited on the University of British Columbia has been entrusted together with the not unpleasant task of tasting a piece of chocolate. Before accepting the chocolate, however, they have been not able to complete a brief questionnaire. For 50% of the participants, this questionnaire secretly included a page with a photo of Canadian money, and for the other half, it included a neutral picture. Even though the ostensibly irrelevant photo was not possible to have elicited more than a quick glance, it'd a pronounced effect on the volunteers behavior.