Page 8 - Seniorstoday April 2023 Issue

The next day the taxi driver didn’t and lavish vacations. But cash is key in
turn up, it was a holiday and he wanted
to be happy. In Bhutan, even a hotel
lobby manager can give a discourse on
happiness.
So can money buy happiness depends
on how you spend it? Happiness is a
loving family, great friends, a good meal,
good health and a decent sum of money.
What constitutes a decent sum of money
is a sweet spot that varies from person to
person. Yet money in moderation appears
to promote most happiness. Perhaps it is
not how much money we have but also
how we value and spend it. What is clear is
that having more money beyond the point
of meeting basic needs is inconsequential,
when compared with a good quality
relationships looking after our mental and
physical health living meaningfully in line
with our beliefs and values. Yet sadly this
things often get sacrificed in pursuit of
more.
Money can buy happiness, reveals a new
study by Nobel-prize winning economist.
The research conducted by Daniel
Kahneman and Matthew Killingsworth
from Princeton University and the
University of Pennsylvania respectively
found that happiness tends to rise with
increase in income and earnings. However,
Killingsworth warned in a statement that
money isn’t everything. It’s “kust one
of the many determinants of happiness.
Money is not the secret to happiness, but
it can probably help a bit.” Here again
it is a probable whether money can buy
happiness. Killingsworth concludes that it
is one of many things that can make people
happy.
When we wonder whether money can
buy happiness, we may consider the
luxuries it provides, like expensive dinners
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another important way: It helps people
avoid many of the day-to-day hassles that
cause stress as the new research shows.
Money can provide calm and control,
allowing us to buy our way out of
unforeseen bumps on the road. However,
if we only focus on the happiness that
money can bring, I think we are missing
something. It also can free us from many
other worries. Money reduces intense
stress, also allows an individual greater
control over negative events, higher
incomes lead to a higher life satisfaction.
People with higher incomes are generally
more satisfied with their life. It’s not as
if the rich don’t have any problems but
having money allows you to take care of lot
of things and resolve them quicker.
It’s strange that some of the very wealthy
can only spend money on themselves and
not on others. A recent survey has found
that India’s rich are stingy. India ranked
106th in a survey of 145 countries and last
among the eight countries included from
South Asia, according to the World Giving
Index, a study based on surveys carried
out by Gallup.
India is poor but so is Myanmar, which
ranked the highest in the world for
generosity. The US is second, New Zealand
third, Canada fourth and Australia fifth.
The next five most generous countries are
the UK, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Ireland
and Malaysia.
Corporates are rewarded for being socially responsible