When I was in high school (or 5th year as you would call it here), I took this course about psychology and sociology. I didn’t have much of an interest in the course, but I had to take an elective, and it was the best of the options. Now I can’t tell you everything I learned from that class, but there was this one assignment that has stuck with me.
We had to find a TED Talk that interested us and write about it. I ended up finding one by Michael Norton that talked about how money can lead to happiness. And before you click out of this article, hear me out!
As we all know, money can’t buy happiness; it is a saying that is constantly used after all. However, it can buy happiness to an extent. Having enough money to sustain your lifestyle is vital to happiness, but once you reach that level (about 70,000 USD a year), your happiness doesn’t increase that much with each salary boost. Buying that extra necklace or that Gucci bag really isn’t going to change your mental health that much.
So, what happens once you hit that level? Can money still bring you happiness? And the answer is yes, but it does this differently.
If you spend money or give money to other people, you, in turn, get a good feeling from making them feel good, leading to both parties being happy. When you first hear this, it might not feel correct. Buying a sweet treat for myself or that gift I’ve been wanting would make me way happier than buying a souvenir for my friend, right?
This idea has been stuck in my head since I saw that video. Since I’ve been in charge of my own finances and funds, this idea has become more obvious. I like to buy things for my friends and family because I know they’re going to like what I give them. It makes me so happy to see their expression when I give them a gift that makes them feel seen. I have a friend who likes Marvel, so I buy her Marvel-related gifts with her favourite characters.
And it always does make me feel happy. I made someone else feel good or helped someone in the case of donations. Next time you’re chasing a good feeling and have the funds to sustain it, instead of buying a new gift for yourself, maybe spend that money on someone else instead.
TedTalk link: https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_norton_how_to_buy_happiness