Here’s How Money Can Bring You Happiness

Arthur Roques
4 min readNov 21, 2020

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“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness isn’t spending it right.” said Morgan Roberts, A college senior graduating from New York Fashion of Institution.

When this statement was made by the New York Fashion Institution student, Morgan Robert, she was drinking on a Red Mascoto wine and reflecting on life, laughs and health that she’s been able to recieve during the mix of a world pandemic known as, Covid19.

Credit: Online
Credit: Online

Due to the horrific Covid19, the entire America is shut down, thus keeping people away from jobs, luxurious things, and places. I believe people are centering their focus on family time, basic essentials, worrying about financial needs, and developing new found happiness. One that does not include money. And if that is true, than should we agree with the life philosophy: “True happiness is not found in materialistic things. It comes from the love and laughter found within people.” Can this really be true?

The conversation in the media about “does money buy happiness” has always seemed to be one sided. Celebrities, and athletes are the people who are already established and wealthy, yet they always seemed to stand behind the one sided argument that is “money doesn’t buy happiness.” The argument is that, after being able to support your basic needs, having more money won’t make you more happy. That valuing things like bettering your mental health, enoying more laughs, enjoying more time with family friends are all ways that trumps spending more and more money.

The Media has always painted that for celeberities, what makes them happy is being able to know that they can succeed in their goals. These people are shown as people who had a plan, executed it well, and got rewarded for it. And while being rewarded they are using some of those proceeds and donating it to a good causes. According to the media that we consume on a regualar basis, that’s consider true happiness.

Well, everyone wants the ability to be able to do what they want, when they want. So what if money isn’t buying you the happiness? Than what is it providing for you? Maybe as free as you might be? I mean one can only truly have freedom if their environment allows them to have it. So does money buys freedom?

Well if money can’t buy happiness, and it can’t buy love, what can money do for me? Maybe make obtaining these goals much easier? because when you have money, you don’t have to worry about the basics. In Psychology 101, I had a professor who talked about the basic of our physiological needs through Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

According to the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, humans intrinsically partake in behavioral motivation. This means that in order for motivation to arise at the next stage, each stage must be satisfied within the individual themselves. Basically, when you have money, it’s easier to be work your way up the stages.

Money is able to take care of your physiological needs, like finding food and water. You’re also able to take care of your body and your belongings, able to afford a safe place to sleep, which completes your safety needs. Because money makes it easier to have these things. Not only can having money allow you the freedom to focus on much higher parts of the hierarchy, such as self-esteem, confidence, and achievements. Money can change your focus. because If you worried each day about how you were going to feed yourself and your family, you wouldn’t have time to pursue these higher aims. You wouldn’t have the freedom to do so. Because as I stated earlier, everyone wants the ability to be able to do what they want, when they want.

As the world continues to evolve and America continues to change, people are seeking realness and want some authenticity in their life. As Morgan Roberts stated above, “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness isn’t spending it right.” She is a graudating college student. She has a good life. And she’s able to do what she want, when she want. This is not sorely because Morgan is stuck in the house during the pandemic and is spending precious times with her love ones, well thats part of it, but its because of the degree that Morgan is getting and the job that she is offered post graduation thats bringing her this happiness.

There’s no question that eliminating her debt, and being able to live above her means has given her peace of mind, has allowed her to take risks that she might have otherwise avoided. So, to Morgan money provides her freedom to do what she never had the chance to do and that freedom is ultimately causing her to drink on a Red Mascoto wine, laugh and reflecting on life. And to her, that is happiness, that is how money is bringing her happiness.

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Arthur Roques
Arthur Roques

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