Really? We need a study to tell us that?

Speaking of money, who paid for the study?

Speaking of money: who paid for this enlighting study?

//People in Togo and Denmark have the same idea of what a good life is, and a lot of that has to do with money and material prosperity," Kahneman said. "That was unexpected."//

a lot of that has to do with money and material prosperity. That was unexpected. WHAT! and this is a professor. Came with a silver spoon I guess.

Money cant buy happiness? Really? As Daniel Tosh said, "that is what poor people say. Try to frown as you ride your new wave runner. You're smiling even as you run into the pier."

No, my friend, money can't buy you happiness ... but you can rent it!

Well, file this one under "no duh!"

Like I always say:

"It's better to be a new rich..tnan never rich"

In other news, water is wet, fire is hot and things fall when you drop them.

Maybe money can't buy happiness but it can sure buy a lot of things that help keep your mind off of being unhappy.

Money is all relative. If you live within your means you can be happy. Its the people who live beyond their means, get into money trouble, are constantly stressed about it, and strive to make more More MORE who will never be happy.

Unfortunately this is most of America.

Let's not confuse happiness with consciousness. One can be happy while others are starving. Consciousness forces us to recognize that we are all interconnected and it does matter that some have much while a far greater number of people have nothing.

How much money are we talking about here. I have money in my pocket every day. Being rich, now that's a term that means a different thing to different people. There's rich, very rich, and buck naked rich.

I've lived through times of extreme need, and then times of having enough money to supply the needs and some wants. I have to say that more money is a lot less stressful. But then, maybe a lot more money would again be very stressful, because of the obligations that seem to go along with it.

I would rather be unhappy and rich than unhappy and poor. having more money raises your standard of living- which brings a higher level of well being.

I think its funny that country music is always talking about its okay, its all right, to be content with what you have. Or songs about all you need is love despite the fact dude is living in their truck. Or the songs that talks about doing nothing but getting wasted every weekend and don't care about anything other then that.

Joke:
Q: What happens when you play a country song backwards.
A: The singer gets his dog back, then his truck back, then the house, and finally his wife!

We have a serious "mis-education" about money...specifically in the United States. There is a difference between "money" and a "currency" that few people understand...very few unfortunately.

Studies of lottery winners and people who receive windfalls such as lawsuits and windfalls show that happiness isn't specifically about the money. I apologize for not having specific statistics, but it's something like 95% of these people have used up or lost the money withing 5yrs, followed by extreme depression. This has also been evident in working with families in my profession who receive large inheritances. It is incredibly disappointing to watch..and the idea is to get everyone in and try to prepare them for what it entails. Once they have the money, though, it can be practically impossible to reason with 9 out of 10. And it tears families apart that aren't prepared for it. 'Old money' families are easier to deal with because they are better prepared and much more likely to seek advice from professionals.

What happens, though, is the money makes them feel better for a while...like a drug. It makes them feel powerful. It actually makes them feel successful...when in truth they have done nothing to be successful. This also occurs among middle to upper middle class children as well. So, for a while they actually feel better. Until reality hits again.

I think this article makes a good point when it mentions that people with money tend to feel more successul. You find high rates of happiness among wealthy businessmen, and high wage earners...even among truly successful celebrities and athletes. The rest, who may have boatloads of money...struggle with happiness as we know. This proves that it isn't really the money that brings the happiness...Except like a drug with it's highs and lows. What you are actually dealing with here is "currency."

It's why the middle working class of suburban America tend to get happy when they can buy stuff and the economy is doing great...because the currency situation is electric. They don't have real money...they have a currency. When that "current" stops flowing...they wake up and realize they don't actually 'own anything.' They don't own their homes. They don't own their cars. They don't even own anything in their 401k's really. For men, in particular, this can be a depressing moment, because we base our self-worth upon some form of success. If everything else is going well, family and they enjoy their job, then they can take solace in that. Rare is the family anymore, though, that is still in one happy piece. Money...or more accurately currency... falsely convinces a person they are successful.

There is a correlation between money and happiness. But it is more of a coincidence than anything. In a capitalist society, a person who has true money...true wealth...is also likely to have strong support groups, successful at something in life, and is simply more likely to be one of the best at their chosen profession. They are more likely to be goal oriented and have some form of stability. Anytime anyone is achieving their goals, whatever they may be, they are more likely to feel good about themselves. They also typically OWN things. Or at least have a positive net worth...something few Americans can truly brag about. They don't depend on their job for survival...because they have assets that are paid for or are producing income even if they aren't working. So, of course they are going to be happy...if they achieved that themselves. That's why these correlations are so high...not necessarily because of the greenbacks.

One last thing...money and currency are different. Prior to 1974, Americans had MONEY. What they earned was real. Since 1974, they have a CURRENCY...and that is far more fickle. It's complicated, confusing, and can leave a person feeling anxious if they don't understand it. If you don't believe me, google the "Historical Gold Charts." Find one that goes back to say 1849. You will see what I am talking about.

Since then, we have been dealing in a CURRENCY. It's the only way the government can even come close to affording Medicare, Social Security, and some of those programs. They need monopoly money...because they simply don't support themselves.

That's another issue though. CURRENCY...or just the simple ability to buy material things, only leads to happiness as long as that material exists. Once it is consumed, or gets old, we need more of it to be happy again. MONEY...specifically true wealth...assets that feed you in some way (and this can include a specialized knowledge that is always in short supply) that does in fact lead to happiness because of what it normally represents. Only because.

It is better to be rich and unhappy than poor and happy.

Seriously how much money was spent on this study? Of course people who have enough money to live a decent life are going to say "Yes" I live a good life. Vs people who are struggling daily to pay their bills and feed them selves...

When you have no friends and always feel worthless, no amount of money can make you happy. Nonetheless, it's good to not have to worry about money.

You can have money and still be miserable.. but money can give you choices and security and peace of mind. How wonderful not to have to worry about making rent/mortgage, being laid off (if you still have a job), having to choose between groceries or heat or meds.. Money can mean not having to worry about car repairs, putting off medical or dental visits. Entertainment, travel, all these things are possible with money. Money means being able to hire affordable child care or elder care or taking time off when a loved one has a terminal illness. Money might not make you happy per se but it certainly makes it alot easier to sleep at night when you lay your head down on those 2,000 thread count sheets.

This reminds me of a friend's university study about sleeping more = weight loss...because you're not munching when you're asleep.   zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Money buys inane studies.