We live in a world where wealth often equates to happiness. However, it’s important to understand that money cannot guarantee a happy life. There are many misconceptions we have about money, and how we should feel when recognizing our wealth. That being said, here are 5 psychological reasons why money alone cannot buy happiness…
1. Missing Life’s True Treasures
Happiness is not dependent on financial wealth, rather in life’s simple and meaningful moments. When we strive for the pursuit of money, we’ll overlook time with our loved ones, pursued passions, and contributions to the well-being of others.
Remember, happiness comes from our mindset of joy, finding moments that make us enjoy life to the fullest. The more we focus on money, the more we’ll lose sight of life’s true treasures.
2. Stress & Anxiety
The pursuit of wealth can bring a lot of stress and anxiety. Wealth can often bring pressure in terms of maintaining or increasing our financial standings. Sometimes, wealth can bring this feeling of comparison and dissatisfaction, causing us to develop stress.
In order to avoid stress of wealth, we must explore things that make us happy and start taking action. Overall, happiness will diminish stress factors, allowing us to seek our goals and aspirations.
3. External Validation
Money can encourage the pursuit of external validation. The more we solely focus on our finances, the more we neglect our inner sense of happiness. Examples would be the neglection of relationships, self-care, personal growth, personal development, and personal goals. Keep in mind, external validation will have us focus on having more, fueling regret and unhappiness in our life.
We don’t need to show-off or find approval within wealth. Always know that money doesn’t define our happiness and who we are as people. The more we recognize the pursuit of external validation, the more we’ll seek happiness and well-being instead of money.
4. Social Comparison
Us humans have a tendency to compare ourselves with others. When we focus on wealth, we engage in social comparison, which lead to feelings of jealousy, low self-esteem, and inadequacy. Social comparison can effect our sense of well-being, causing us to act negatively and live an unfulfilled life. We must find ways to avoid comparison, and rather focus on what makes us happy.
The more we focus on the values we seek and the decisions we make, the more we’ll be happy personally and financially. Remember, money never defines you, it’s who you are as a person.
5. The Illusion Of Wealth
Money can create an illusion of happiness due to it’s pleasurable experiences and material possessions. However, these illusions often fade away the moment we realize they don’t provide lasting contentment. It’s so much better if we spend on things that bring lifetime value and happiness.
Keep in mind, the pursuit of wealth can divert our attention from more meaningful sources of happiness, and stop us from reaching our fullest potential. The more we stay away from this illusion of wealth, the more we’ll find happiness within ourselves.
