Will a bigger salary make you happier?
Will a bigger salary make you happier?
In our consumer-driven society, many people assume that the bigger their paycheck, the happier they'll be. But according to Career Builder .com, rich people are no happier than those with less money.
Obviously, if you're living in poverty, more money will increase your level of happiness. But as long as you have a job that supports your lifestyle, quitting and getting a job that pays 20% more won't boost your happiness.
Richard Layardis the director of the Centre on Economic Performance at the London School of Economics. And he says that although the United States has had huge economic growth since 1950, people today aren't any happier than they were back then. And the same is true of other wealthy developed nations.
One of the reasons for this is that more money can mean more stress and responsibility. For example, surgeons and stockbrokers make a large salary.
But they also face greater amounts of stress because there's a lot riding on their performance and decisions.
Also, it's hard to define what "wealth" is.
No matter how much you make, if everyone around you makes more, you won't feel wealthy. So basing happiness on your paycheck is a bad idea.
Studies show that people believe the most important thing to them is spending time with their family. Still, most working Americans spend far more time at work. But experts say finding a work/life balance will go a long way toward feeling less stressed and more satisfied.
Bottom line? Don't count on your paycheck to bring you happiness. Look for fulfillment in other ways: through your relationships, hobbies and goals. You'll find that being richer doesn't make you happy - but being happy makes your life richer.
In our consumer-driven society, many people assume that the bigger their paycheck, the happier they'll be. But according to Career Builder .com, rich people are no happier than those with less money.
Obviously, if you're living in poverty, more money will increase your level of happiness. But as long as you have a job that supports your lifestyle, quitting and getting a job that pays 20% more won't boost your happiness.
Richard Layardis the director of the Centre on Economic Performance at the London School of Economics. And he says that although the United States has had huge economic growth since 1950, people today aren't any happier than they were back then. And the same is true of other wealthy developed nations.
One of the reasons for this is that more money can mean more stress and responsibility. For example, surgeons and stockbrokers make a large salary.
But they also face greater amounts of stress because there's a lot riding on their performance and decisions.
Also, it's hard to define what "wealth" is.
No matter how much you make, if everyone around you makes more, you won't feel wealthy. So basing happiness on your paycheck is a bad idea.
Studies show that people believe the most important thing to them is spending time with their family. Still, most working Americans spend far more time at work. But experts say finding a work/life balance will go a long way toward feeling less stressed and more satisfied.
Bottom line? Don't count on your paycheck to bring you happiness. Look for fulfillment in other ways: through your relationships, hobbies and goals. You'll find that being richer doesn't make you happy - but being happy makes your life richer.
