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Is Money a Source of Happiness?

When I was young, I experienced the peak of poverty. I was born in a poor family that I could

not rely on. My father is the only supplier and sometimes it is easy to lay off staff. This affects

every aspect of our lives, from our clothes to our food. My mother restricts certain food and

recreational activities just to make ends meet. My father famously said: "If we only had money,

we would be very happy." He would mention this sentence every time he ate, and it slowly but

surely became my mantra.

I think everything else can be solved with money.

When I was eight years old, my father received a job offer from an oil company. This job brings

all the benefits we hope for. Soon, we moved out of the two-bedroom apartment in the city and

moved to the suburbs. This is just the beginning. I remember my father asked me if I wanted a

dog. Pets are not allowed in my old apartment. We can't afford it anyway. At this stage of my

life, I believe that my father's spell money can really buy happiness.

We have slowly but surely adapted to our new community. Always me and my mother. Dad will

travel on business. As long as he comes back, they will fight. His mother was angry with him

because he didn't make time to spend time with his family. He is always busy earning more

money to buy a piece of land he bears. We overestimated the happiness we can get from money.

Since the ice age, epidemics and wars, human beings have been adaptable. Making money is
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exciting at first, but once they adapt, the pleasure disappears. Economists refer to this stimulus as

the "hedonic treadmill."

Although I am satisfied with what I bought, people will eventually come back to buy more.

Therefore, if they are not satisfied with a certain car as expected, they will decide to buy another

car, and the cycle continues.

My mother always makes time for me, even if she started working as a nurse in the emergency

room. She told me that nothing is more important than family.

Once in the third grade, we had a "Take your special friend to school day". I am so excited. I

just moved to school and I want to make a good impression. The night before, I asked my mother

if she would come to school with me. Of course she can't do it. This is a working day, and her

work will be very busy. Dad said he would replace it. I was very excited to go to school the next

day, and I would spend one night at school with my father. However, he did not show up that

night. I am the only person who does not have a "special friend". When I got home, he

apologized and said that he was called to an emergency meeting at work. I was angry with him

for a month. Happiness researchers believe that happiness comes from doing things rather than

having them. As experience stays in our minds, things will decrease. For people, no matter how

much money they make, they will never find happiness out of dissatisfaction.

According to (Futrelle, 2006, p.1) "The relationship between money and happiness seems to be

more complicated than the romantic entanglement of any desperate housewife." I learned that no

matter how much money you make, the urge to make more money will never end. Individuals

can prioritize what is important to them. In summary, money cannot buy happiness.
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WORKS CITED

Futrelle, David. "Can money buy happiness." Money 35.8 (2006): 127.

Easterlin, Richard A. "Does money buy happiness?." The public interest 30 (1973): 3.