What would you pay to be happy

[Pops]

Long time lurker, first time poster. I thought this was interesting, seems MMM is hitting the sweet spot on annual income:

Since the early 1970s social economists have discussed the curious relationship between wealth and happiness. The Easterlin Paradox states that while the rich are happier than the poor within a country, there’s no evidence that the overall happiness of rich countries is greater than that of poor ones. Layard and his colleagues’ analysis took this further – in fact, there seemed to be a wealth ceiling: he put it at around US$25,000, 10 years ago. Above it increasing wealth showed diminishing returns – getting richer does not make people significantly happier. According to more recent research, above US$75,000 (£48,000) per annum, there’s almost no happiness benefit at all. The policy implications of that insight were huge, especially in a world that was beginning to worry about the social divisiveness of widening inequality.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/may/10/what-would-you-pay-to-be-happy

[HenryDavid]

Why be happy, when you can be normal?

[arebelspy]

What a ridiculous question.

Happiness isn't for sale.

It's free. 

Just take it.

:)

[forummm]

The price of happiness is the decision to be content with what you have.

[Bicycle_B]

There are a lot of conflicting articles on this topic, like this

http://theweek.com/articles/464943/yes-money-buy-happiness

and the one linked by OP. 

My favorite type shows that the relationship is there, but only becomes clear if the researcher views the data a certain way (on a logarithm scale, if you will).  Presumably the difference in analysis method is why the different researchers conflict - the relationship exists, but it's easy to miss statistically:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/01/yes-money-does-buy-happiness-6-lessons-from-the-newest-research-on-income-and-well-being/267016/

The effect is that more money is better, but each dollar makes less and less difference the richer you are. 

On a typical linear graph instead of a logarithmic one, the curve is so smooth that at any given point such as $25K or 75K, the right hand side looks almost flat. It is tempting to conclude that more money doesn't matter above the chosen point.  Mathematically, that would be incorrect, but the conclusion "a little more money won't make much difference" is true.  On a logarithmic scale, the relationship is linear. 

If my favorite article is the One Article That Explains Them All, of course.  No doubt more research will come out next week.

[Elderwood17]

Once basic needs are met, contented ness and gratitude become the keys to happiness.

[Guesl982374]

What a ridiculous question.

Happiness isn't for sale.

It's free. 

Just take it.

:)

+1

[GuitarStv]

What a ridiculous question.

Happiness isn't for sale.

It's free. 

Just take it.

:)

+1

+2

[thd7t]

Just took a really nice lunch walk with my wife where we discussed some good friends who make very different financial decisions from ours.  They sometimes mention that this leads to money troubles, but over-all are really happy.  My wife mentioned sort of wanting to talk about frugality with them (because their concept of it is pretty funny), but I don't think we should.  Our attitude towards money is providing us with some opportunities (more every day), but is it a good idea to give advice to people who are already happy?

[Bob W]

Happiness isn't an emotion so much as an attitude.  Woody Allan famously said that his happiest days were often being in bed totally depressed.  So yeah,  happiness is more about accepting and being grateful.   I'm in fact happy just now but bummed out at the same time.  (happiness is not the opposite of sadness)

But now Joy!   I would pay a lot for joy!   I am truly joyous so infrequently that I can't remember the last time. 

You know the type of joy where you are literally skipping and singing the words to "I'm walking on sunshine"   or that freaking "happy" song?

I also basically find life pretty damn boring 95% of the time.   The other 3 out of the other 5% I'm drinking.   Coincidence?

[GuitarStv]

Happiness isn't an emotion so much as an attitude.  Woody Allan famously said that his happiest days were often being in bed totally depressed.  So yeah,  happiness is more about accepting and being grateful.   I'm in fact happy just now but bummed out at the same time.  (happiness is not the opposite of sadness)

But now Joy!   I would pay a lot for joy!   I am truly joyous so infrequently that I can't remember the last time. 

You know the type of joy where you are literally skipping and singing the words to "I'm walking on sunshine"   or that freaking "happy" song?

I also basically find life pretty damn boring 95% of the time.   The other 3 out of the other 5% I'm drinking.   Coincidence?

Happiness isn't an attitude, it's a set of chemical and electrical signals in the brain.  If you want joy, you're looking for a combination of anandamide, dopamine, and endorphins.  For peaceful contentedness you're looking more for serotonin and melatonin.

[Bob W]

Happiness isn't an emotion so much as an attitude.  Woody Allan famously said that his happiest days were often being in bed totally depressed.  So yeah,  happiness is more about accepting and being grateful.   I'm in fact happy just now but bummed out at the same time.  (happiness is not the opposite of sadness)

But now Joy!   I would pay a lot for joy!   I am truly joyous so infrequently that I can't remember the last time. 

You know the type of joy where you are literally skipping and singing the words to "I'm walking on sunshine"   or that freaking "happy" song?

I also basically find life pretty damn boring 95% of the time.   The other 3 out of the other 5% I'm drinking.   Coincidence?

Happiness isn't an attitude, it's a set of chemical and electrical signals in the brain.  If you want joy, you're looking for a combination of anandamide, dopamine, and endorphins.  For peaceful contentedness you're looking more for serotonin and melatonin.

I'll have another shot of the dopamine or at less a dopamine reuptake inhibitor please!

Although,  if happiness is not a "choice" or "attitude" how do you explain me being happy and depressed at the same time.   You see it is possible to enjoy (or be happy with) whatever particular chemical circumstance you find your brain in.  It is the "judging" that lends itself to unhappy vs. happy.   Choose not to judge and there is no differential.   

Is a cat that lays around seemingly depressed more or less happy than a cat hunting and capturing its favorite prey?   I think not.  Of course I could be totally wrong.   But I'll choose happy over external or chemical locus of controls.   

[TreeTired]

  Just takes more and more money to achieve an equal increase in happiness, but by the time you reach $35,472,000 in assets  (in 2010 dollars)  you pretty much max out happiness,  but the very wealthy don't realize this so they keep trying to make more and more money.  That's why you have multi billionaires still out there trying to make more money.

[GuitarStv]

Happiness isn't an emotion so much as an attitude.  Woody Allan famously said that his happiest days were often being in bed totally depressed.  So yeah,  happiness is more about accepting and being grateful.   I'm in fact happy just now but bummed out at the same time.  (happiness is not the opposite of sadness)

But now Joy!   I would pay a lot for joy!   I am truly joyous so infrequently that I can't remember the last time. 

You know the type of joy where you are literally skipping and singing the words to "I'm walking on sunshine"   or that freaking "happy" song?

I also basically find life pretty damn boring 95% of the time.   The other 3 out of the other 5% I'm drinking.   Coincidence?

Happiness isn't an attitude, it's a set of chemical and electrical signals in the brain.  If you want joy, you're looking for a combination of anandamide, dopamine, and endorphins.  For peaceful contentedness you're looking more for serotonin and melatonin.

I'll have another shot of the dopamine or at less a dopamine reuptake inhibitor please!

Although,  if happiness is not a "choice" or "attitude" how do you explain me being happy and depressed at the same time.   You see it is possible to enjoy (or be happy with) whatever particular chemical circumstance you find your brain in.  It is the "judging" that lends itself to unhappy vs. happy.   Choose not to judge and there is no differential.   

Is a cat that lays around seemingly depressed more or less happy than a cat hunting and capturing its favorite prey?   I think not.  Of course I could be totally wrong.   But I'll choose happy over external or chemical locus of controls.   

How your brain gets to the chemical release is irrelevant if as you said, you would pay for joy.  Joy can be bought and injected.

[Erica/NWEdible]

  Just takes more and more money to achieve an equal increase in happiness, but by the time you reach $35,472,000 in assets  (in 2010 dollars)  you pretty much max out happiness,  but the very wealthy don't realize this so they keep trying to make more and more money.  That's why you have multi billionaires still out there trying to make more money.

Nah, I don't think at that level, people are still going after money for itself. They probably want the high of the win. Or perhaps the power of the win, or the power of the bank account. A very few might be actual stewards of a fortune (Warren Buffett comes to mind) but for most the money - winning and losing it - is probably secondary to greater and greater thrill-seeking behavior.