Will people be happier when they receive higher salary?

A: Hello, B. I am very glad to see u, and it is our program’s honor to invite u to be our guest
today.
B: Hello, A. I also appreciated it to be invited by this talk show.
A: Have you heard the hot topic on Weibo recently?
B: Which one? Taylor Swift broke up with her boy friend?
A: Oh, B, you're just as humorous and gossipy as before. I actually mean the topic that Do
you think the higher the salary, the happier?
B: Oh yeah. I've been reading about it on Weibo a lot lately. I also heard that a survey was
launched on the topic.
A: Yep. I have done a little bit of organizing, and here is the result of the investigation. As is
shown in the picture, we can see that most people still choose the first option. But I chose 2:
No, money and happiness are not the same thing. The last two options are in the minority.
B ： In my opinion, part of the important reason for this result is that the post-90s generation
accounts for the majority in this vote, they are different from us，the post-00s generation, because
they have experienced the pressure of society and work ， and for most people, the higher the
salary, The more they can meet their needs and desires in life.
A: But do higher wages equate to happiness? What’s your opinion, B?
B: If the salary is only regarded as money, then the higher the salary, the higher your income, can
solve more money problems in life, can get more material, but also can use the extra money to
enjoy more spiritual level of activities. On the other hand, consider salary as a measure of working
ability. At this time, the higher the salary, the higher your ability, also means that you have
received more recognition from superiors or society. To put it in a very simple way, think about
your current job and how happy you would be if your boss paid you twice as much to do what
you're doing. In fact, many times employees are unhappy with their current jobs not because they
are too tired or too hard, but because their hard work is not rewarded as they would like.
Therefore, high salary is a positive encouragement for professionals, just like the top level of
Maslow's hierarchy of needs: self-actualization, which will bring them certain satisfaction and
happiness.
A: I completely understand u, B. Just like if my boss was willing to pay me more for the work I'm
doing today, the smile on my face would be even more obvious now. But there is another kind of
people, they no longer care about the amount of money, just like Jack Ma once said, I have no
concept of money. So if there is no higher goal than money, it is difficult to support them to
continue. So after a person has made enough money, no amount of salary will bring strong
happiness to this person, they may be more in pursuit of a feeling or ideal, and to be guided by
these will be happy.
B: Of course. Every people live different life, and have various perspectives. There are others in
society whose happiness is not determined by money or material things. Just like the current social
hot word "Buddha system". These people do not pursue a high quality of life, they enjoy
happiness in a normal and stable life. Just like the ancient Tao Yuanming can also enjoy himself in
his shack. Take a look at the children, they have not even the concept of money, but they can play
in the sand can be very happy, not to mention parents' careful company or serious listening will
make the children feel more happy. This is because children tend to have low requirements, and
their sense of happiness is strong. They always find endless interesting feelings in everything
around them and make themselves laugh out loud. So happiness is related to each person's
demands on life and their ability to perceive happiness, not directly related to wages.
A: I totally got your spirit. And I also have some related information in hand. A survey found that
low-income people with an annual income of less than 10,000 yuan are not the least happy, while
high-income people with an annual income of more than 1 million yuan are the most unhappy.
Those with an annual income of more than 100,000 to 300,000 yuan are the happiest. Therefore,
people with low wages may feel happy because of their happy family and stable life, while people
with high wages are also likely to feel less happy because of their busy work and lack of friends.
B: The idea is easy to understand. It's a very interesting question: Would you choose a job that
pays well or a job that makes you happy, that you are interested in. In fact, everyone has a
different answer to this question. By the way, I also have something want to consult with you, A.
In fact, there are many workers in the current society will feel confused, always feel dissatisfied
with the current job, but do not know whether to change jobs? Do you have any suggestions?
A: You are so humble, B. I'm flattered to be asked questions from u. Ok, I will give some humble
opinions. I know there's a term in economics called Pareto optimal solution. I think we can apply
it to this problem. From the perspective of employment choice, Pareto optimality can be
understood as: when we cannot find a satisfactory job in all aspects, we can find a job with the
same salary but happier than the present, or a career with the same interest but higher salary. If
neither of these options is available, that is, if you can't find a better job than your current one,
then your current job is the optimal solution to your dream job.
B：Brilliant idea! Your idea inspired me.
A: Really thank you for your compliment!
B: Back to our topic. I also want to add something and make a conclusion. In fact, the level of
salary does not determine happiness. First of all, although a high salary can bring people a better
material life, it cannot bring about inner happiness. Wealth is only a part of life, not the whole.
People also need support and love from family, friends and love to feel truly happy and fulfilled.
Secondly, high salary may also bring more stress and anxiety. When people's incomes rise, they
tend to face higher expectations and greater responsibilities. They need to be constantly
productive, or they may lose their jobs or suffer other adverse effects. This stress can lead to
physical and mental health problems that undermine their happiness.
A: Yes. In addition, there is some research showing that people's satisfaction with their salary level
is not directly related to their actual salary level. Instead, people's happiness depends more on how
they compare to others. If they find that their colleagues or friends earn more than they do, they
may feel dissatisfied, which reduces their happiness.
B: Yep. It is a phenomenon nowadays.
A: Ok. Thank u for the excellent views that you have brought us today. In the fact, as people grow
older, they get more and more, but they also want more and more. At this time, they require
continuous improvement. As a result, there is a gap between their ability and feedback, and they
start to feel less and less happy. OK, thanks for everyone’s watching today. It is time to say
goodbye now. See u next weekend at the same time!