Personal Essay Blog Post #6

     Can Money Buy You Happiness?

    Yes. The age-old question is multifaceted and complex, but my answer is undeniably yes. I think one of the reasons many are so quick to believe that money can’t buy happiness is because of how open the question is to interpretation. Do I believe that everyone’s woes will evaporate as soon as their salary rises? No. Is every single rich person happy? Of course not. But I do believe that money can increase the quality of one’s life, and through that, their happiness. 

I think the debate of whether money can buy happiness should focus more on how a lack of money can prevent your happiness. I have been blessed to never have to worry about where my next meal is coming from, where I was going to sleep on a particular night, or whether I could pay my bills. Any personal issues I may be dealing with at times feel trivial when compared to these questions that many ask on the daily. With a sufficient amount of money, one could alleviate their stresses and eliminate these burdens that press upon them everyday.

Most who state that money can’t buy happiness insist that happiness comes from within and can’t be achieved with cash.  While I value love and friendship as much as the next person, it seems silly to me to dismiss wealth or objects as causes of happiness. In fact, I would even go as far to say that we humans are inclined to value material possessions as a source of joy. When I was a young child I didn’t look forward to Christmas because of the family dinner or the holiday parties, but longed for winter break to see what presents were lying under the tree with my name on them. Part of me believes that this childish desire only deepens within us as we grow older, exacerbated by consumerism. A brand new car, popular pair of shoes, or shiny new watch is valued more for its style and name recognition than its utility. In our society, expensive items often serve as markers of success and achievement. 

The idea of happiness has always been tied to success when it has been described to me. Go to school, get into college, get your degree, and lock down a job. It seems flawed though, to think that college, your gateway to success, is itself entirely based upon how much money you have. Even starting a family, another supposed path to happiness, seems to hinge upon your financial state. When you account for all these factors, it seems that many paths to “success” that we hear about are sugarcoated ways of saying that you need money to be happy. 

Money provides me with freedom. My freedom allows me to take part in my interests and have fun. My interests are what make me happy. Would I really have the freedom to pursue my interests without money? Would I be taking saxophone lessons, going to soccer games, and talking with my friends on PlayStation if I could barely make ends meet? To me the adage that money can’t buy happiness has been exaggerated and has lost any initial truth it may have held. It is oftentimes easy for those of us in a comfortable financial situation to discount just how impactful money is on our lives and what role it plays. This isn’t all to say that rich people don’t have their problems. But, if money was provided to those who struggle financially, their lives would improve, even if it didn’t make their troubles disappear instantly. Regardless, those issues would be easier to deal with in a mansion than on a bus.