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Can Money Buy Happiness? A Review of New Data
Everyone knows the adage “money can’t buy happiness,” although few of us seem to believe it.
The best-known theory on this topic is that money actually can buy happiness, but only up to a point. This comes from a study by two Nobel Laureates, Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton (2010), which found that emotional wellbeing rises with income. However, it rises logarithmically. That is, as an individual’s income increases, their wellbeing increases at a slower and slower rate. And after income surpasses about $75,000 per year, Kahneman and Deaton’s data suggests, wellbeing stops increasing altogether. However, new research from Matthew Killingsworth challenges this finding.
"It seems that chasing ever-increasing amounts of money is an ineffective way to find happiness for ourselves. On the other hand, giving to highly effective charities is a great way to make others feel happier."
Source: www.givingwhatwecan.org
happiness money wellbeing buy income kahneman deaton slower
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