4 ways money can make you happy
We have all heard the phrase, "money cannot buy happiness".
This is true.
But can we use our money in ways that are likely to bring us more happiness and contentment as opposed to stress and dissatisfaction?
Sonja Lyubomirsky in her interesting book The Myths of Happiness gives us four principles that psychological science suggests we live by if we want to optimally enjoy our money.
Here is the first principle:
Don't spend money on "stuff"— you will get used to it ("hedonically adapt" to use the technical term).
Moreover, she writes that "A mountain of research has shown that materialism depletes happiness, threatens satisfaction with our relationships, harms the environment, renders us less friendly, likable, and empathetic, and makes us less likely to help others and contribute to our communities. . .". These are just some of the negative effects of unbridled consumerism.
Lyubomirsky suggests that in order to counteract this happiness killer, spend money on experiences and "on developing ourselves as people, on growing, and on investing in interpersonal connections."
To put it simply, instead of buying a new car, take a course or go and see your long lost relations in Africa!
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