

Does money buy happiness? Yes, if it's used to buy memories - cwan
http://scienceblogs.com/cortex/2009/08/money_and_happiness_1.php

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mannicken
Looking back at my life, when was I the happiest? It certainly wasn't when I
got the paycheck or got a new job with better pay, or bought a new car, or
bought second laptop.

I remember my happiest memories to be in school, surrounded by careless,
daring, funny, and oft-swearing people. In classes, but not only in them.

I remember I was happy when I was running track and cross-country. A bunch of
guys and girls running on the side of the road on a sunny day at a decent
pace: chasing cars and talking. We didn't give two shits about money or
things, these things seemed to have fatten us, make us less free. Even shirts
were too much!

Yes, social situations around physical activities were peaks of my happiness.

~~~
edw519
Me too. My fondest memories were coming home to a fraternity house where 40 of
us lived together. There was always something going on. What great times! We
were either learning something new, hanging out together, playing football in
the yard, playing bridge, fixing up our house, partying, chasing women, etc.,
etc., etc. Lunch and dinner served every day in the dining room. No shopping,
no mortgage, no one depending on us for so much, and no cubicle!

I've been trying for years to recreate that atmosphere in my adult life, but
without much success. I haven't given up, though...

~~~
biohacker42
I think you pretty much have to go back to school for that. That's my plan for
when I have enough money to not have to work for a living, I can then go and
be a professional life long student.

~~~
ChrisXYZ
I've found traveling, and staying at hostels and partying with other
backpackers, is really good about recapturing that college feeling.

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mvp
These surveys on 'happiness' are done by asking people taking part in the
survey to rate their 'happiness'. How is this information going to be more
useful to me as an individual who reads the results of such a survey ? I could
answer myself whether I derived more happiness by spending on goods or
experiences in the past. And that analysis is going to be more appropriate
than predictions from a survey.

The point is, I am doubtful if we can use the results of such a survey to
direct our actions rather than relying on our own thoughts.

~~~
sophacles
So you're saying that we should not or can not learn from the experiences of
others. The idea that most people are wired roughly the same holds no sway
with you, and that only personal experience can possibly show you how things
work. This means you never take into account reccomendations for movies, or
books or restaurants. Never learn from others' mistakes right? Thats what you
are saying.

Of course none of the above takes into account the fact that you are biased to
judging yourself well (my actions were of course right). Your analysis could
be based on some flawed assumption (the happiness i get from X is the maximum
of happiness, maximizing the little happinesses reaches a global maximum, not
a local one, etc). Or that other people could possibly know more than you.

Not that this comment matters, only your judgment and thoughts could possibly
be correct in the end.

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nalbyuites
Memories are things of the past. They might comfort you when lonely or make
you nostalgic. More important than searching for what brings us happiness
would be knowing what happiness itself is. Is it just a feeling of elevation,
of euphoria? I would consider a person happy if his mind is calm, devoid of
regrets of the past and anxieties of the future.

~~~
PebblesRox
That sounds rather boring to me...

~~~
nalbyuites
Its not definitive, still experimenting. Might change my mind you know. :)

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tigerthink
For maximum efficiency, buy stuff that's used to generate memories. For
example, a sweet pair of rollerblades.

~~~
diN0bot
heck yeah!!! in addition to roller hockey, that also buys you roller frisbee,
4-court roller tennis and shortcuts.

ps - roller hockey sunday 2pm at ahern in cambridge, ma

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nopassrecover
This is news? I thought everyone's mother gave them this advice (possessions
won't make you happy, you should live life instead).

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sireat
I was half expecting memory implants and a reference to Philip K. Dick and 'We
Can Remember It for You Wholesale' short story (basis for 'Total Recall'
movie, story is good and differs from the movie).

That said, I don't regret a single over the budget experience I've had.

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geeko
I wonder how they measure happiness in those trials. Is there some kind of
'Happy Unit' metric to measure happiness?

~~~
ludwig
They probably used the distance-from-lip-edge-to-ear metric.

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californiaguy
Money doesn't make me happy, but I'll tell you what makes me unhappy: working
on salary for some fucking asshole.

Therefore, money makes me not unhappy. Which is good enough for me.

~~~
astine
Or, rather, having a source of money aside from working on salary for said
asshole makes you not unhappy.

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onreact-com
This post is only a comment. Read the original source instead:

[http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/08/23/...](http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/08/23/happiness_a_buyers_guide/?page=full)

~~~
grandpa
The Boston Globe article is only a comment. Read the original source instead:

[http://www.psych.ubc.ca/~edunn/publications/dunn_aknin_norto...](http://www.psych.ubc.ca/~edunn/publications/dunn_aknin_norton.pdf)

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ddemchuk
I can understand the saying "money can't buy happiness", but when you're broke
and behind on bills, that lack of money sure does create unhappiness.

I've talked to a very well off person about this, and they said that not
having to think paycheck to paycheck certainly does alleviate a lot of stress
that most Americans deal with.

