Happiness is a broad word with different meanings. Some say that happiness is landing that dream job or traveling all around the world. Others say that happiness is getting a shiny new car or buying your first house. But much of this is based on the opinion that happiness is a destination.
Happiness is a way of life, not a means to an end.
People who pursue happiness can ironically distance themselves from actual happiness. According to research from Mauss, people who chase happiness have higher levels of depression and loneliness and feel less satisfied with their lives. A study in 2012 observed a strong correlation between loneliness and pursuing happiness.
The dream of “pursuing happiness” is also very much ingrained in American culture. In the same study by Mauss, this pursuit is largely made by the belief that only focusing on oneself results in loneliness and a “social detachment” from others. It always ends up in “personal disappointment”.
Happiness should not be an end goal; simply because it’s impossible. Buying happiness doesn’t always work either. Even though people do tend to feel happier with higher income, according to Princeton University’s Daniel Kahneman, University of Pennsylvania’s Mathew Killingsworth, and Professor Barbara Mellers’ research, there is a “sharp rise in happiness” up to $100,000 annually. It showed a group of wealthier people who were unhappy since being rich doesn’t immediately grant genuine or intrinsic happiness.
Yes, having a lot of material wealth is wonderful. It gives one a sense of status, superiority, and success; it’s the main reason why many people pursue their careers and investments. It’s all we’re taught to value in American society. It’s tangible. But, it only lasts so long. People can have everything they want through money, and yet still feel unsatisfied. Although statistically, wealthier people are generally happier, they tend to have less boosts of happiness. Money alone can’t buy true happiness.
Being happy takes small steps. Enjoy the little moments instead of focusing on a goal far in the future.
Watch a funny movie with family, or eat ice cream with friends and hang out with cherished ones. Find happiness in the small and mundane.
REFERENCES
Does more money correlate with greater happiness? | Penn Today. (2023, March 6). Penn Today. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/does-more-money-correlate-greater-happiness-Penn-Princeton-research
Fuemmeler, B. (2024, January 26). The (expanded) history of American happiness — The Leadership & Happiness Laboratory. The Leadership & Happiness Laboratory. https://www.happiness.hks.harvard.edu/december-2023-issue/the-expanded-history-of-american-happiness
Hansenne, M. (2021). Valuing Happiness is Not a Good Way of Pursuing Happiness, but Prioritizing Positivity is: A Replication Study. In National Library of Medicine. Retrieved February 23, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8588931/#sec1
Oishi, S. (n.d.). Money and happiness: the income–happiness correlation is higher when income inequality is higher. In National Library of Medicine. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9802463/#:~:text=A%20recent%20meta%2Danalysis%20of,countries%20than%20in%20richer%20countries.
Q Ford, B. (2016). Culture shapes whether the pursuit of happiness predicts higher or lower well-being. In National Library of Medicine. Retrieved February 23, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4658246/
