Monday, July 17, 2006

Does Money Buy Happiness? By: Maria Shallenberger



Does money buy happiness? If so is there a certain point where that ends? If not, are the people who do use money to buy happiness not truly happy? How do you know? Do you think that people spend too much time and energy on acquiring more $$ when that time could be better spent otherwise?

17 comments:

English student said...

Money can not buy eternal happiness; It can only buy short-term happiness. For instance, when someone buys something, they're happy that they have it until the newness of it wears off. When someone buys something, I think that they're more happy with the possesion they've bought rather than being happy within themselves.

Another reason why I think money can't buy happiness, is that eventually the possesions you own end up owning you. For example, when someone goes out and buys a brand new car. Unless they pay for the car in full, they'll have to make monthly payments on it. For however long the new car makes them happy, there will come a time in which they will get tired of making the payments on the car. When they make the final payment to fully own the car, I believe that they will be more happy to rid themselves of those monthly payments, rather than being happy with actually owning the car.

There is no way for knowing this sure, because everybody is different. I've based my opinion from seeing other people go through the same situations.

Yes, people do spend too much time and energy on getting more money. Again, everybody is different, so I can't speak for them and say how they could better spend their time otherwise.
Pat Mahoney

English student said...

I think that money does not buy happiness. Money is good for nessities and can accomadate for your needs. However, money makes you happy because you may not want for anything, but money does not buy love. Money can put you in a lot of debt and make you turn against your loved ones. To me money is the root of all evil. It's alright to have money, but happines is more important.

Leta

English student said...

I think that money can not buy pure happiness but it can make you feel better. Because if you did not have money then you would be happy if you got money for a home, for a car, for food. In this case money can buy happiness. But i think that happiness ends after you get everything you want and you are left their with money and nothing to buy. so in that since money can buy you happiness till you have everything you want. after that only true happiness can be made from friends and god.
by: Ryan Duda

English student said...

I don't think money buys happiness, simply because as humans, we have emotional needs as well as physical needs. Money can't buy a genuine meaningful friendship and so money can't buy happiness. Money may be able to sway people to fill your emotional needs, but if the feelings aren't genuine, you won't have that fullfillment that you would have with a real friend. I do think that it depends on the person as to whether they spend too much time aquiring more money. If that time infringes on family time or friend time, then yes it is time down the drain. However, we live in a world where moneymeans everything, so you have to soend enough time earning money to feed youand your family, house them, etc.

~Adrianna~

English student said...

Money can't make someone long-term happiness. Yes it does make life a lot easier because you don't have to worry about next months bills or the gas prices.. but you still need other things to be happy- things that money can't buy, like: love. One can go through life with billions but to do it alone would be no fun.
Kellie

English student said...

Money can buy happiness temporarily. But for those people who have tons of money and buy things all the time, they never get done wanting things. They'll buy and install a nice in-ground pool, but a month from now, they'll want that sports car they saw in that car lot. Because they have money and they know that they can have whatever to make them happy for the time being. So I don't really think money buys happiness. You can find happiness in so many other ways. Through things like family, friends, or God. For a parent who spends numerous extra hours at work trying to make money to make their childs future secure instead of with their child, are not accomplishing anything. Money will always be here; your loved ones will not.

Rebecca Carmack

English student said...

Money buys things, not happiness. Happiness is a state of mind, not something you can buy. I do think people try harder to make more money to have more things, but only realize that when they get the money, they only want more. For some, when they buy items, they think they have it all, but I think they only have things. When they have a loving husband, good marriage, close family, then they have happiness. Everyone wants to have a good paying job, but only so, they can pay for the finer things in life to take care of family. This is the way they fine happiness. Darcy Cekander

English student said...

Money does not buy happiness. Happiness is something you get from something that you enjoy. If you are happy fishing they money only helps you do what you enjoy. But, every time something new comes out people have to have it. People are too materialistic. They want something to make themselves look better. But it doesn't make them any happier.
Happiness is something that you can't buy.
Nicole mulrooney

English student said...
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English student said...

i don't believe that money can buy happiness. no matter how much money you have i don't think you ca buy happiness. i think that if you had all the money in the world you still would not be happy, you would never be satisfied because you would always want more and more than what you have. once you buy more things you are just going to want even more after that. i don't think that the people with money are truly happy, because they are always finding something else they are missing. i do think people spend so much time and energy trying to aquire more money, because they think that material objects will make them happy. i think that the money could be spent on better things or even put in savings.

~Ashley Ross

English student said...

I personally think that money does more harm than good. It can make people become greedy and even turn against their close friends and family. Some people even think that they are better than others just because they have more money. I also think that people definitely waste their energy worrying about having the best of everything instead of truly enjoying life. My family has never had an abundance of money, but we get by. Something as simple as watching the sunset can make me happier than spending all of my money on something that I will probably stop using within a week.

~*Amanda Wasowitz*~

English student said...

I think it all depends on how you get your money. If you have to work 60 or 70 hours a week to make great money, then I dont think you would be to happy. You would be missing out on alot of stuff that goes on through out the week. If you end up winning the lottery and never have to work again, I think you would be very happy. You could pretty much go anywhere you want to just to relax. All together though I dont think it would buy happiness. I think having people around you that you enjoy and living your life the way you want to makes you happy. Aaron Royse

English student said...

Money offers a means of fixing financial problems such as paying off a loan, which in turn grants happiness. Money indirectly provides us with happiness, though too much money creates the opposite. The prospect of earning cash provides us with an incentive to do things, which is the reason the economy works the way it does. But what if someone acquires too much dough? After a certain point, one does not see a reason for working, since all necessities and luxuries are within reach. Though greed is selfish, I am glad that something motivates us enough to keep the worldwide infrastructure afloat.
-Michael Holmes

English student said...

Money can sometimes buy happiness for a little while, but it dosen't always work that way. You need more then money ro be happy. You need loveing people around you and people to help you. But money sometimes can help for a little while.
Jamie Brooks

English student said...

It's funny for you ask this question and I'm reading it at work.
I know money itself does not does not buy you happiness at all, but it does aid in the pursuit of happiness. Studies show the majority of marriages end over money issues either too much unnecessay spending or just not enough to go around. Money acquired and spent wisely can be very helpful because it can allow you to do many things that you can't do without it, like pay bills on time, enjoy yourself and family with vacations or just quality time, and most importantly bless others who don't have as much as you.
I say all of this from experience. I have worked steadily since the age of 13, not because I had to, but because I wanted things, many of those years I had more than one job at a time and up until about a year ago it was all about me. I had all the nice things you could want, I bought my first car at 16, second at 18, and currently on my third, clothes,jewlery,vacations, started an insurance business at 19,I bought my first house at 20 and working on my second right now,but none of that made me happy unless someone acknowledged it. I also got no sleep, no time with my family, no time to drive my car, no time to wear my clothes or jewlery,and I enjoyed my house only to take naps, I felt I was working just to pay for stuff.It wasn't until I asked I guy in my business why was I not enjoying all the money I was making, and told me that I haven't found a reason to a reason to enjoy it or a "why". He said I needed a reason to why I was working so hard so strong that it would make me cry at times.I realized my purpose was to help others and when I started working to do that instead of for myself I became much happier without any acknowledgement,and I have more time to just enjoy life instead of things, work doesn't seem as hectic,my buisness is running more smoothly, and I also am be a positive role model for kids who don't know that you can have things without being a drug dealer, rapper, or sports superstar.
Jamar Brown

English student said...

I totally agree that money can't buy hapiness! I also agree that money can get you in huge trouble, but anymore, it seems that money is the only thing people are focused on. Everyone wants to drive the most luxurious cars, own the most expensive house on the block, and wear the most fashionable clothes. A lot of people have said money can buy temporary hapiness. So, at what point does money stop giving us that false sense of hapiness? Money stops giving us that temporary hapiness when we let greed set in, and we lose sight of God. We let the money separate us from our creator.

Money can be used in so many ways: donate it to charities, provide food for the hungry, build a shelter for the homeless. But money can be so destructive in so many ways, also. We let money control our lives. We constantly struggle to have the most money. Once we get that money, greed sets in. Instead of donating it or helping out people in need, we buy ridiculous items. I was watching VH1 the other day, and I saw that some billionaire guy owns 5 yachts! FIVE YACHTS! What the flip is he going to do with that many yachts?

As you can tell, I def. don't think money can buy hapiness. I think its alright if people have lots of money if they use it wisely and help other people out.

Alex

English student said...

money can buy you anything you want, including happiness, it just that its not going to last forever.
I think that being financially wealthy and having money in the bank would bring a person happiness for many years to come.

Corey