Two psychological phenomena, adaptation and comparison, do not allow us to buy happiness. Adaptation phenomenon explains a tendency to evaluate new experiences in relation to our previous experience. When our financial situation is improved and we earn high reputation in the society, we instantly feel happier. Once we adapt to this level, it becomes common and normal to us, as our level of happiness returns to the starting point, or a basic level. In order to feel satisfied again, a tendency for achieving higher and better appears. When you buy the latest model of TV for the first time, you'll feel incredibly joyful. Only a couple of days later, watching the TV will become an ordinary, normal thing for you.
Research shows that people who are on the Forbes list of richest are as happy as the members of the African Masai tribe. After only a few years, the level of happiness of the lottery winners returns to normal, to the level person had before winning the lottery. Beside the fact that our personal level of happiness is in a close relation with our previous experience, it is also to a large extent determined by our comparison with other people. We'll always feel happier if we compare ourselves with those who have less. When we live in such environment where other people are in much better position, the situation is reversed.
It is true that money can’t buy happiness, but we can buy lots of things that make our life easier… How is money important in your life?
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