Muet homework ( 29/3 )

Essay

One of the biggest questions that makes its way into many people’s lives is, “does money
make you happy?”.In a short answer to the question, yes. In fact, it has been proven that the more
money you make, the more likely it is for you to become happy. Studies have shown that a
growth in income, even if it is not a large amount, results in an increase in life satisfaction.
Although many people may argue that it is family, life experiences, or respect that makes you
happy, money makes these things more accessible, which in part, allows you to be able to
become a happier person all together.
Many people have a misunderstanding of the phrase, “money can buy you happiness”. Many
believe that the phrase means that if you have money, you automatically become happy and
carefree. Of course, happiness cannot be bought, but the things that you use your money to buy
can lead you to become happy. Research suggests that overall happiness in life is more related to
how much you are respected and admired by those around you. Many people are respected
because of the car they drive, the clothes they wear, the house they live in, and many other
materialistic items that someone can obtain. But most of the time it is money that affords these
people to be able to buy these things that make them respected by their neighbors. Essentially,
money itself isn't what makes an individual happy, it is the things that money allows them to do
that makes them happy.
In fact, there are very few instances in which money leads to a decrease in happiness. These
instances are not due to the fact that the person who is less happy makes a lot of money, these
instances are due to a low income earning individual living amongst neighbors that bring in a
higher income than themselves. For example from a study it is shown that people who earn less
money than their neighbors are more likely to commit suicide than their counterparts earning the
same income in a less wealthy neighborhood. This is due to the low income earning individuals
trying to keep up with their neighbors by buying materialistic items that make them seem as if
they earn large amounts of money.

As a result, money is perceived not only a goal but also a powerful incentive which impels
people to face any difficulties with great bravery. From then, they may grasp their own meanings
in the society and enjoy their lives happily. In addition, money can bring happiness to other
people as well. Nowadays, many remote parts of the world are still suffering from terrible natural
disasters. For that reason, the monetary assistance from the international community is inevitably
invaluable to them. This, finally, may help relieve their suffering partly as well as show them a
ray of hope for a better life.

Nevertheless, there is a grain of truth in the assumption that money sows seeds of the
unhappiness. In such a materialistic society, whether our lives are comfortable depends too much
on money and sometimes, the attempt to make ends meet exhausts people utterly. Moreover,
they prone to getting materialistic and even too self-absorbed to spend time with their famlies,
which ultimately culminates in their bitter regret someday. However, money just fulfills their
function as a supportive factor contributing to our full happiness and whether it does harm to
people is dependent completely of how it is used. Overall, money supply the initial stability to
lead a happy life and help people enjoy it immensely . However, be careful or the
misunderstanding of its function possibly results in unexpected consequences.