Happiest Countries -- America isn't in the top 10
Money doesn't make us happy -- we heard this. We knowingly nod when others remind us of this. But we don't actually believe it. We scoff at celebrities spending thousands, we jealously say bitter things about people with better jobs than us, we insist that CEOs must never have any problems because of their huge paychecks -- all showing that we really do think rich people are happier than us. And if only we made more, we too would be happy.
But there's a reason America didn't even make the top 10 for happiest countries in 2009.
We're wrong. People are not happier with huge paychecks.
These lies are one reason America is not one of the happiest countries, despite our standard of living.
Most all of the marketing we've breathed in since we were children has lied to us -- insisting that buying more will make us happy -- that carrying a certain handbag or having a nice car will make us "better."
Money, like food, can make you feel secure, but it won't add to the quality of your life -- you can only eat so much food in a day. Excess food, or money, stacked up, won't really make you jump for joy with bliss. It'll just pay your bills, make your belly full -- which are important, just like having clean water is important. But after your survival is ensured, as it is for most Americans, what will make you happy is not more money, more food, more clean water -- that's our biggest fallacy.
It is relationships. That's what makes us happy. Loving, being loved, being understood, understanding others, being parts of groups who know us and care about us. That is the missing link in America. We don't know how to do that, the way we know how to go to work, make more money, and buy more cars. Marketing led us to the mistake, but it's up to us to change it.
You need a certain amount of food each day to live, just as with money. But you can only eat so much in a day, and in a lifetime. Having a bunch of extra food might be a good idea -- you can store it in case of emergency, and have extra to give away to others if need be. It might even make you feel secure knowing you won't have to worry about food again. But after that, your life is just your life. Having an enormous refrigerator or pantry full of mac 'n cheese to last you decades can only up your joy factor so high. It won't make you happy. It will just make you full. Money is the same. It won't make you full of joy. It will only pay your bills. That's it -- that's all it will do.
Make your money, make yourself secure, but chase happiness in your relationships, learn how to have them, discover what good ones are, learn about yourself and others -- that will make you happy for a lifetime the way a big pile of food or green bills simply can't.
But there's a reason America didn't even make the top 10 for happiest countries in 2009.
We're wrong. People are not happier with huge paychecks.
These lies are one reason America is not one of the happiest countries, despite our standard of living.
Most all of the marketing we've breathed in since we were children has lied to us -- insisting that buying more will make us happy -- that carrying a certain handbag or having a nice car will make us "better."
Money, like food, can make you feel secure, but it won't add to the quality of your life -- you can only eat so much food in a day. Excess food, or money, stacked up, won't really make you jump for joy with bliss. It'll just pay your bills, make your belly full -- which are important, just like having clean water is important. But after your survival is ensured, as it is for most Americans, what will make you happy is not more money, more food, more clean water -- that's our biggest fallacy.
It is relationships. That's what makes us happy. Loving, being loved, being understood, understanding others, being parts of groups who know us and care about us. That is the missing link in America. We don't know how to do that, the way we know how to go to work, make more money, and buy more cars. Marketing led us to the mistake, but it's up to us to change it.
You need a certain amount of food each day to live, just as with money. But you can only eat so much in a day, and in a lifetime. Having a bunch of extra food might be a good idea -- you can store it in case of emergency, and have extra to give away to others if need be. It might even make you feel secure knowing you won't have to worry about food again. But after that, your life is just your life. Having an enormous refrigerator or pantry full of mac 'n cheese to last you decades can only up your joy factor so high. It won't make you happy. It will just make you full. Money is the same. It won't make you full of joy. It will only pay your bills. That's it -- that's all it will do.
Make your money, make yourself secure, but chase happiness in your relationships, learn how to have them, discover what good ones are, learn about yourself and others -- that will make you happy for a lifetime the way a big pile of food or green bills simply can't.
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