Can money buy happiness?
January 18, 2010 by admin
It’s an adage question and it doesn’t have a direct answer. I can tell you this – money CAN’T buy happiness but money does influence someone’s happiness, a lot too.
I know a lot of people who are not rich and they’re still happy. At the same time, I also know a lot of friends who are rich and are happy too.
And here’s the ultimate kicker – I definitely have more friends who are rich and happy than not rich and happy.
You don’t *really* need money to be happy but with money in your hand to spend wisely, you can surely attain happiness quicker and perhaps, easier too.
You see, the REAL secret to happiness is by making others happy and feel fulfilled in return. Why do you think there are people who do charity by donating their money? Self-fulfillment.
If you have a wonderful wife who is loving and caring, wouldn’t it be a happier relationship if you can shower her with more gifts that money can buy?
Or if you have a beautiful kid, wouldn’t it be great if you can take your child to places he/she likes to visit?
If you read this and you feel like I’m a jerk to say money brings happiness or you’re about to disagree, stop reading because I’m not here to point out who’s right or wrong. But I think I can say this - if someone feels uncomfortable with what he reads here, then he’s just avoiding reality and reality always bites. Who likes to be ‘bite’? I rest my case.
What most people are unaware is at the subconscious level, they are letting this believe to sip into their mind and it became the excuse for them not to be wealthy.
To be wealthy, there’s a lot of work. And I’m not saying this because it’s my believe system or something – no. Go ahead and ask any millionaires how they became millionaires and I’m pretty confident that they’ll tell you that they’ve gone through certain levels of challenges.
Imagine this - if you embed the thought that money is not important for your happiness, do you think you’ll still work hard to be rich? Not anymore.
And these are the people who would say these sentences to you…
“Why work so hard?”
“Money is the root of all evil.”
“You’ll attract problems with your money.”
“You won’t have true friends if you’re rich.”
I’ve interviewed many millionaires and some of the most successful people in the world for my Success Trace Membership – Mark Victor Hansen, Bill Bartmann, Jerry Clark, Robert Allen, Christopher Guerriero, Ted Nicholas and many more… and guess what? They seem to have a lot of true friends and have strong feeling of happiness within them.
So after this explanation about money and it’s relation to happiness, I’ll tell you this - money will help you gain happiness when you’re attracting and using it correctly.
Ask any rich people - are they happier today or when they’re broke? Some will say when they don’t have money and this will be the small group of people who attract and use money wrongly, that’s all.
As a matter of fact, the topic of money is such a sensitive topic, that there are people who avoid discussing about it - embarrass to be misunderstood of being ‘chasing money’ and rejected from the society. If you’re not excited about getting rich, how would you attract it in the first place?
At the same time, I was asked an interesting question from an attendee when I was doing a workshop, MSIInAFlash.com, with Robert Allen, someone who I highly admire and respect, a real guru about creating wealth…
“You’re already so rich and successful. If I were you, I would have taught people for free.”
I honestly think he’s not rich yet and don’t really understand the mechanism or money and wealth yet, not in any negative intention.
I wanted to ask him this question in return…
“Why do you think doctors charge fee for their consultation? Or why do think lecturers, fitness trainers, fashion designers and professors should be paid then?”
The doctors, lecturers, fashion designers, fitness trainers and professors should be paid because they’ve risk their own time and money to be able to help other people. They’re ALREADY doing a favor to charge you and me for imparting their knowledge, experience and wisdom.
Imagine if they have the same thought like the worksho attendee, that they should be taught for free as well - that they should not spend tens of thousands or years to learn their trade. Imagine how this world would actually perform today. Weird, right? 
If you want to be rich, focus on being rich. Stop questioning what you don’t like because it’ll not change anything if it’s not within your control.
The way how you view the World will ultimately be your world.
So do you want happiness or money?
My answer: both because you’re living in a world of abundance where you can ‘and’, not ‘or’.
If you like what you’ve read for “Can money buy happiness?”, I look forward to hear from you. Just leave your feedback or message in the Comments below and I’ll personally read it.
To your success,
Patric Chan
Founder, SuccessTrace.com
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27 Responses to “Can money buy happiness?”
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money may cause to happy but money can’t buy happiness.
Money is just a means to an end. A common quote is often misquoted. It\’s not that \"money is the root of all evil\". The quote should be \"the LOVE of money is the root of all evil\".
Money is a good thing. It\’s far better to have money than not to have money. There\’s no nobility in poverty. Every individual on this planet should strive to ensure they have enough money to first survive, then thrive, then give, in that order. If you are poor and have debts, then pay your debts off first before giving to church or charity. YOU are the charity in this case, but just don\’t get yourself into debt again. Resolve to turn your life around for the betterment of yourself and everybody around you.
Take this as an opportunity to change your life and then when you\’ve changed your life you\’ll be able to change the lives of others for the better, and THAT is when you understand the true purpose of money. It is to be put to work, to make more money and in turn used wisely to help others. Once you have an abundance of money in your life, you will naturally gravitate to doing good things with that money.
Finally, remember this. Money doesn\’t change you. If you are a a-hole before you became rich, you are an even bigger a-hole when you become rich! If you are a nice, happy type of person while you are poor, then when you are rich you are just the same, happy and nice but richer!
Hi Patric,
Fully agree with what you said, money and happiness are both essential in our life, at least to me personally.
Thanks for the post.
Hi Patric,
Personally speaking, money can buy happiness. Without money and of course in abundance, one is relatively dead because it will be difficult to function properly, financially and otherwise.
It is good to be happy all the time but better still if you have money, that makes one happier. Please know that poverty leads one to crime, in other words into sin. The one that allows money to conduct his/her character is rather a fool.
Hey Patric, l admire your taste in cars. I’m saving for the new C200 – class Mercedes Estate model myself. However my wife want’s a new kitchen first, and since I love her dearly, the Merc will have to wait a bit. Here’s to an abundance of cash, the beautifully things we can buy with it, and the charities we can donate to generously. Let’s hear it for MONEY !!!
The all-time question, but let’s be realistic. Happiness is no only thing. We need more of such important stuffs. We need hope too.
I view that money can’t buy happiness, but it keep one stay somewhere close to it. And the sure thing is that money surely can buy some hopes. Just think of a smart poor student whose parents can’t support his/her education (their hope also)! And suddenly they have a lot of money.
Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can definitely fund it!!
Hi Patric
I completely agree with you. Happiness as such cannot be bought . It is all within and depends on each individual if he is happy and content in the situation he/she is in. In order to acheive more in life one needs money to buy the dreams that are to be fulfilled. So indirectly money then becomes a necessity and a means to buy happiness.
Money can’t buy happiness but at least it will take away all my sadness
I’ve been told that money doesn’t make you happy but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would be the happiest man in the world if I didn’t have to WORRY about money. If I had all the money I needed I could escape the job I have cornered myself into by caring too much about how much money I make and not the satisfaction of the work I do. It’s a bit of a catch 22. By working hard at a job I didn’t particularly like I became successful and made more and more money. Now i have a salary that I can’t walk away from, doing work that I can’t stand doing. But, if I hit the lottery, I could quit my job and pursue things that I truly like to do. Ergo, for me, money does equal happiness. Only fools would be unhappy with all the money in the world. The sad part is that I know a lot of fools with lots of money. Selfish, selfish fools.
Money is good. To some it is evil. To me it is a source of great happiness and fulfillment. Imagine if I had enough to spend for myself, my spouse, my family, friends, community and Kenya. Oh my Lord how great that would. I believe it wound open the doors of heaven wider.
Hi patric! I can say yes money is necessary to make other people happy which also happiness in our part when we look at it as fullfillment. In my own perspective before I am happy just being on myself. Even if I have no money. I feel contented with limited means and I used to believe this will be true forever but not until I meet my husband. I told him before it\’s ok I can happy even if we\’re not rich but in the long run I can say its not that way. We quarrel when we have no more money. Even worst when I got pregnant and have a baby. That is when I said to my self I need to earn more to make our relationship better and our family intact.
I find this topic to be totally fascinating, not just because of all the ideas and emotions people have about money, but also because of the many ways this can be looked at.
For example, Patric starts off by saying money CAN’T buy happiness – and this is fundamentally true because money can never buy what it represents. For many of us, money represents freedom, happiness, etc, but money is not actually those intangible things – and therefore, money can never purchase those things. The tangible cannot “acquire” the intangible.
And yet, in my experience I’ve observed that people who are happiest typically also have more money than those who are not happy. One must ask – why?
Perhaps it’s because those people understand money can’t buy their happiness, so they focus on being happy. The result of happy people is that they generate value in other peoples’ lives – whether it be a smile and a story, or creating programs like Success Trace
And with that in mind, maybe, just maybe, Patric has it ‘all wrong’ (as in exactly reversed) when he says:
“money will help you gain happiness when you’re attracting and using it correctly.”
What if it’s the other way around — that happiness will help you gain money when you’re attracting and using it correctly?
But then again, maybe it’s just another Catch-22? Financial wealth when used with conscious leverage can significantly affect emotional wealth, just as emotional wealth when used with conscious leverage can significantly affect financial wealth.
Coming full circle, like Patric says — why choose just one?
Hi Patric,
Why always think about money, for me i thinking of clearing the debts and bring the happines. True enough in order to make debt free, you need money to settle its.
Having money removes the stress of survival from ones life.
Once that stress has been removed it frees a person the be able to focus on more noble pursuits which in turn can lead to happiness.
Therefore money can allow a person to pusue happiness.
Excellent text to read! I will read it for several times more.
Money and happiness are relative terms…feeding your family properly costs money and for some, just having enough money to feed the family on a regular basis brings happiness!
Money and happiness are two common issues. They go hand in hand. But you must know how to handle them especially money. When you have enough money must share with the needy. Don’t be too stingy because if not then cannot bring any happiness to yourself. You are always thinking of your money.
As the saying goes “the more you give you will get double or triple in return”.
I have to disagree. Now don’t get me wrong I have plenty of money to do what I want when I want. But Happiness is within you. If you chose to feel happy, The universe will align you with more happiness. Trust me my life growing up was no bowl of cherries by any means. But I chose to FEEL GOOD. That’s why I drive 2 nice vehicles, live in a nice house, give to people when I want. To think that if you were rich you would be happy is wrong. Chose to be Happy and Feel good and all things will fall in place. Unless you have a negative attachment to them. And my personal opinion is Doctors are part of the biggest money scam on this planet. I feel we were born with an immune system that will take care of everything that existed or ever will exist. Why have a doctor or their drugs destroy the very mechanism that takes care of you. Do you realize if your not sick or have a so called disease. I just call it dis-ease they don’t make money. We have more prescription drug commercials than anything else being broadcasted on t.v. It’s sickening talk about getting into the publics head that your sick and need this. So anyways I believe the drugs we don’t need they are making billions on it just for our ignorance. I have not been to a doctor in 25 years and I’m healthy as can be. My best advice is Make a CHOICE to be happy with whatever is going on in your life. Seriously find good in everything thing and everyone. And good things will happen. And the only time you need a doctor is if you break something. If you need a organ or something removed get a second opinion. Doctors have made many mistakes removing parts of the body that don’t need removing. Heal yourself within by choosing to be healthy, and stop buying prescription drugs if all possible. Don’t worry, Be happy. Great song when we worry we attract dis-ease.
I agree with Dann, that Happiness is from within. Happiness can come and go. When it comes enjoy the moment. When it goes, relax; It certainly will come back. Money can only ‘oil’ an already happy mind/person. Money itself can not bring happiness. Money is good and should not be a source of sadness. Unfortunately sometimes it is a source of sadness when obtained or used unjustily!
Thanks patric for your quote I do support because in our society It has happened many cases where those people with little wages are tempted to steal . have a fantastic stay.
Money may cause happiness but what am very sure money can not buy is joy and peace. Happiness is about what is happening but joy is about what is inward.
In reality, money is essential to make life easy. What most people misunderstand about money is that money is the root of all evil, not true, but to my understanding, the heart of men is wicked and evil not money. Happiness is not based on how rich someone is rather how contented and prudent you are.
Hi Patric,
Great article. You solve most people confusion about money & happiness.
Thank you!
Andrew
Hi,
interesting thoughts!
I believe it’s not possible to make a general statement on whether money makes people more or less happy. Money comes with a whole set of new elements that may have good or bad impact on our happiness, and depending on how susceptible we are to every one of them, the conclusion will go one way or the other (i.e. different from person to person).
I recently made an effort to provide a more comprehensive picture of what these ad- and disadvantages are. I invite you to have a look at Money and Happiness and tell me what you think!
Thank you,
Nick
This is correct Patric. Money itself is not evil as we all know we need money to survive in this world but it is how we use money that makes it good or bad. As the saying goes. ‘IT IS THE LOVE OT MONEY THAT IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL’in other words if one has to kill or steal to create wealth then he cannot find inner peace or true happiness in life