Is Money the Key to Happiness?

In today’s world, everyone is running after money. We often hear people saying that higher income results in more happiness and satisfaction.

In order to find out the relationship between income and happiness, a study has been conducted by the American Psychological Association. The researchers used a survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,519 people. As part of it, the participants were made to answer a number of questions. This was done so as to ascertain their tendency to experience seven different emotions associated with happiness. These include:  amusement, awe, compassion, contentment, enthusiasm, love, pride. It was found that participants with higher income experienced emotions like pride and contentment, i.e. emotions more focussed on them. Participants with lower income experienced emotions that focus on other people, like compassion and love. Poorer individuals also experienced awe and beauty in the world surrounding them. As a result, the researchers concluded that wealth is not explicitly connected to happiness. It is just that wealth predisposes a person to different kinds of happiness, i.e. whether one delights in oneself versus in friends and relationships. These findings also establish that lower-income individuals have evolved ways to find happiness and joy despite less favourable circumstances.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171218090948.htm