Summary

The article "The Big Lie About Happiness" challenges the common misconception that more wealth and luxury equate to greater happiness, emphasizing that true happiness is not proportionally increased with more material possessions.

Abstract

The article discusses the widespread belief that money does not guarantee happiness, yet many people continue to chase wealth and luxury as portrayed by the media. It illustrates this with a scenario where a person experiences a significant increase in happiness by moving from harsh conditions to a state of basic comfort, suggesting that beyond meeting fundamental needs, additional luxuries yield diminishing returns in happiness. The author argues that the initial jump from misery to comfort brings a substantial boost in happiness, but further upgrades in wealth and possessions do not produce a comparable increase. The article concludes by highlighting that true happiness is more closely tied to service and spiritual fulfillment rather than material wealth, citing Henry Ford's wisdom that wealth and happiness are by-products of providing useful service.

Opinions

The pursuit of wealth is driven by a subconscious belief that more money equals more happiness, which is a misconception.
The greatest increase in happiness occurs when moving from deprivation to having basic needs met.
Once basic needs are satisfied, the incremental happiness gained from additional wealth or luxury diminishes.
Happiness is not directly proportional to the level of material wealth; beyond a certain point, more possessions do not significantly increase happiness.
True happiness is found in service and spiritual fulfillment, not in the accumulation of wealth.
The media's portrayal of luxury influences people's desire for wealth, despite knowing that money does not equate to happiness.
The article suggests that society is trapped in a "rat race" due to the misguided belief that constant pursuit and attainment of material possessions will lead to happiness.

The Big Lie About Happiness

Yes, we know money doesn’t buy happiness

There seems to be a common theoretical understanding that having lots of money doesn’t necessarily mean you become happy.

So why do the majority of us still chase larger amounts of money and the life of luxury that the media shoves down our throat?

There may be an underlying, subconscious misconception that still drives us to do so. And we need to be aware of it.

Let me explain.

Imagine you’re in the middle of the woods at night.

It’s freezing cold and you have nothing warm to wear. You’re really hungry and haven’t eaten all day. You’re tired and dirty because you’ve been traveling.

In the distance, you see a small cabin with its lights on. You walk towards it and knock on the door.

The old man inside offers you shelter for the night.

You have a nice warm shower that soothes your frozen bones. The leftover soup the man offers you warms up your stomach and satisfies your hunger. You then fall asleep on his couch, curled up with a small blanket, and a big smile on your face.

Going from essentially having nothing, being tired, cold, and hungry, you are now comfortable and content.

The difference in your level of happiness is huge.

Now let’s imagine the same scenario, except instead of it being a normal shower, it’s a rain shower. And along with the soup he gives you some really tasty garlic, cheese bread. And instead of a couch, he gives you the spare room with a bed.

That would be great right?

But unless you have an incomprehensible love for garlic bread, the difference in your level of happiness would not be as significant. Sure it would increase the pleasure of your situation, but it wouldn’t match the incredible jump of going from absolutely miserable conditions, to warm, clean and satisfied.

The misconception about wealth and material possessions is that if something makes you happy, having twice as much will make you twice as happy.

That’s just not true.

In the initial scenario, what the old man had to offer was very minimal. But it made all the difference.

Upgrading your situation to a jacuzzi, lasagna, and a king-size bed would be a significant upgrade in terms of value, but does not equate to the same increase in happiness. In fact, the difference it would make would actually be less and less the higher up you went.

We understand that money isn’t everything. But at the same time, we feel great when we get our first car, laptop, or washing machine that makes life a lot easier. Of course it makes us happy.

We just need to remember that getting a better one won’t necessarily give us the same increment in happiness.

Happiness is actually tied primarily to service and spiritual fulfillment. As Henry Ford once said:

“Wealth, like happiness, is never attained when sought after directly. It comes as a by-product of providing a useful service”.

Being wealthy is great. We should work hard to earn a livelihood and enjoy the comforts the world has to offer.

But failing to recognize that the constant pursuit and attainment of higher levels of material possessions will not result in an equivalent growth in happiness, will leave us trapped in the rat race that has enveloped the majority of our society.