Unit 9 - Can money buy happiness?

Would you rather to be poor but happy or wealthy and miserable? This is one of the most debatable questions all over the world, but what does the science say?

There have been a lot of happiness investigations recently and the last one about the connection that exists between money and happiness claims that money can buy happiness BUT if we know how to spend it. Both the psychologist Angus Deaton and the Nobel Prize Winner Daniel Kahneman showed their results and said that people tend to be happier if they have economic steadiness. However, these results only apply for people who make $75.000 or less per year. If your income is much bigger than that amount of money, your happiness will not increase.

In addition, Michael Norton who is a Harvard professor said that spending money in other people will make you happier than buying things for yourself.

Discussion Questions:
1)What do you think about the studies that the psychologist, the Nobel Prize winner and the Harvard professor have made? Do you agree with their results?
2) Do you agree with the message the picture gives? Why or why not?