Does Wealth Equate With Happiness?

“Does money buy happiness? Well it buys a waverunner..have you ever seen someone frowning on a waverunner? It can’t be done!” – Daniel Tosh

I sat twice at a lecture of Rav Avigdor Miller ZTKLLH’H, where he pulled out of his pocket a newspaper cut out, from the Chicago Tribune, which listed the 10 wealthiest people {I don’t recall if the 10 wealthiest US Citizens or 10 wealthiest in the world} some 10 years earlier, and then a follow up of these same 10 people some 10 years later:- Some of them were in Latin America running away from their debts, and others were divorced, and others were in jail, and others were on the poverty line.

Nope, but neither does poverty.

Some of the happiest people have been some of the (financially) poorest.

Some of the happiest people have been some of the (financially) poorest.

And some of the unhappiest have also been the financially poorest…

Which proves wealth does not equate to happiness.

No but it can make suffering a little less uncomfortable

avhaben: People who are able to hire help, take vacation when necessary, and buy items that can assist them with their particular issue are less unhappy.

The question though isn’t whether people who are suffering are suffering less when they’re wealthy, it’s whether general happiness is equated with wealth.

As I suspect many of us on the east coast are learning indirectly this week, to an extent money does equate with happiness. Having electricity, running water, and stable access to food (and the knowledge that that is likely to continue) does make people happier. There’s an economist (Richard Layard) who estimated that the cut off point is basically where a society is making a per capita income of $15,000 a year. After that, increases in wealth don’t really increase happiness.

I have a relative whose mother suffered from depression. The father was able to afford cleaning help, therapy, and yes, vacations for the two of them. They even went away for Pesach (please no comments if you disagree, it was a big help for the mom). Do you think money helped?

I work as a special ed teacher. I have a student with LD and behavior issues. Parents are able to afford a behavior therapist for nightly hw, a mid-winter vacation with a babysitter who comes along, and money for sp ed camp while they go to EY to recharge their batteries. Money helps?

Do you know anyone who has unfortunately used Chai Lifeline and all their resources? It helps a lot. Donate if you can. Let your money help someone who really can use it.

BTW, this is off the topic. Regular people also get to recharge their batteries with a 10 day vacation. You can’t compare a 2 day to a 10 day. You can’t compare it if you “get out of dodge” to a staycation. Regular people also enjoy extra cleaning help before Pesach. Regular people also enjoy eating out once in a while. If you’re happy without it, great! Some rich people are unhappy no matter what they have. The research is about the average person.

avhaben -“Would becoming wealthy usually make a person happier than if they hadn’t become wealthy?”

I dunno. Get me some and I’ll let you know!

CTLawyer, do you have any input on whether being wealthy causes one to be happier than had they been middle class?

Torah613Torah thinks it does.

what do the rabbis say in pirkei avos & other places? more money brings more worry & a person with riches is never satisfied etc…. he just wants more even if he is already a billionaire. BUT HE IS NEVER HAPPY/SATISFIED

CTLAWYER?

That be true, but the question at hand is whether economic wealth generally provides a greater level of happiness than being economically middle class.

Like many things, the problem is about assumptions and perception.

First, most people assume that “unhappiness” is the opposite of “happiness”, but that may not necessarily be the case. This isn’t merely a semantic argument, but something more fundamental. Must “happiness” be a binary state, on or off?

Perhaps one can be both happy and unhappy simultaneously or neither.

There’s also the issues of duration and range. Does a moment of either category count or must it be all encompassing? Can I be happy with some aspects of my life and unhappy with others? How does one solve for X – the “happiness factor” – in that equation?

Even ignoring that, Chaza”l said some very cryptic things about “simcha” (again, it’s often translated to mean “happiness”). For example, there’s no “simcha” except through meat and wine (pardon my simplistic translation). Just for the sake of argument, let’s just focus on the physical experience.

One may very much enjoy the taste, texture, resulting satiety and other sensory aspects of consuming these food items, but would the usual understanding of the term “happiness” best describe one’s emotional state? In my reading of some of the most glowing reviews written by culinary experts of wines, restaurants and chefs’ dishes, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered the word “happiness” (or its variants) among the accolades. Odd, no?

As to perception, we also tend to fill in the blanks. When we presume that unhappiness is the lack of external “happiness” ingredients or the presence of “unhappiness” ingredients, we conclude that “happiness” is achieved by “correcting” the balance.

While it may sound logically compelling, is it true?

cherry, are you alluding to the fact that suicide rates are higher in wealthier countries and that people who earn 10 percent less than their neighbors are 4.5 percent more likely to commit suicide, including among high-earning individuals?

That’s not necessarily true. I know some rich-ish people who are perfectly satisfied with what they have and live just like other people, just with a little bit more wiggle room.