Monday, May 05, 2014

"The Economics of Happiness" Period 2- Due 5/12

http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/v29.n22/story5.html

Please add an intelligent comment (minimum 5 sentences) in response to the linked article.  Be sure to use a minimum of one quote in your response.  Optional: Comment on a classmate's post in a second post (minimum 3 sentences) *Use only your first name, last initial and class period.

12 comments:

  1. Robert Lane thinks that materialism doesn't buy happiness, after you have basic needs, and that the effect of euphoria is short-term. I don't agree with him on this. Lane remarks on how people's standards get higher if they won the lottery, "...the effect is dissipated, in the sense that you've set your standard higher." I disagree with this statement. If I was a billionaire and dropped $100, would I just not pick it up? It's nothing to me, I'm a billionaire! The way you are raised and taught to perceive money will stay with you throughout life regardless of success. Money can buy happiness; I want a jet ski, so I bought a Jet ski. If I could buy some jet skis, I would be SO happy. Even things that perform little to no function can have sentimental value. A vase given to someone by your grandmother before she passed would be of great importance to them. If that vase broke, it wouldn't make them forget about their grandma but it would affect the strength of physical connection that some memories cling on to. An object can be a constant reminder of something good in life or sadness, both important; materialism can buy happiness to a large extent and shouldn't be frowned upon by the masses.

    Jared C.
    Period: 2

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  2. Robert Lane explains that money and happiness do not correspond with each other. He thinks that happiness can't be bought which in a way is correct, but their are ways to buy happiness. For example you want a new car, you are millionaire so you go out and buy the best car no matter the price, because you fell satisfied by this car. Money may not cause direct happiness, but it definitely can satisfy your wants and needs. According to Robert Lane, "The relationship is clear, strong and persistent. In richer countries, it's very hard to show any relationship, and you can't do it either over time. As income goes up, happiness does not go up. In fact, since World War II, it has gone down in the United States" I agree that happiness isn't in the direct result of being wealthy, but being wealthy helps satisfy and enrich happiness within a person. The best source of happiness comes from knowing that your everyday life is enjoyable and that you are satisfied. Being wealthy will only enrich your happiness and make you feel more satisfied.
    Ryan C.
    Period 2

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  3. Robert Lane talks about the happiness and how it is not related to money. How even in poor countries and nations, are happier than the richer ones overall. Though money for short periods of time can bring us temporary happiness, but it does not last. Lane says, "If you won a lottery or if you get an increase in pay, it does have a momentary, important effect. You feel better. You're happier. That's short term. Very quickly you adjust to that, and the effect is dissipated, in the sense that you've set your standard higher. " To me this quote shows how high we can set our standards for happiness, and it doesn't always make us genuinely happy. "People who rank high in that kind of measure are not happy people. The higher people are on the materialist scale, the lower they are on the happiness scale." I found this quote very interesting because you would think that it would be the opposite because people with lots of money can buy things that make them happy, but in reality you can not.

    Alla Miller
    Period 2

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  4. Caroline M.
    Period 2
    Robert Lane describes his findings about what makes us truly happy. He explains how companionship makes us happy rather then money. " It's very clear that the number of friends we have, for example, is a much better indicator of happiness than the number of dollars we have. " Materialism isn't everything but I don't fully agree with Lane. People don't always have to make you happy. Especially the number of friends that you have. You don't always need someone to make you happy. We shouldn't have to depend on someone for happiness. Happiness comes from the inside it doesn't matter if you have many friends or just one friend. But, you should surround yourself with people that you feel comfortable with and are happy to be around. Do not involve yourself with people you don't get along with because then you will become unhappy.

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  5. n this article, Robert Lane talks about how money and happiness have little or no correlation. While this may be somewhat true, it is also true that we can use money to buy things that can bring us happiness, for however long it will last. There are poor people that are very satisfied with their lives, but becoming rich is one of most people's goals in life, and it can lead to a feeling of happiness and satisfaction that many poor people are striving for. "If you won a lottery or if you get an increase in pay, it does have a momentary, important effect. You feel better." This quote shows that rich people can bring themselves pleasure by buying something whenever they feel like it, while poor people simply do not have that luxury.
    Evan Seward
    P2

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  6. Robert Lain conveys a very important message by analyzing and supporting a variety of positions that claim that wealth does not correlate with happiness. The article provides a lot of viable data from international studies that indicate the one's material wealth has nothing to do with one's happiness. Mr. Lain notes that "As income goes up, happiness does not go up." This means that if one wishes to obtain happiness, they should realize that having more money will not give them that. As a person who is preparing my future career, I really appreciate the message of this article. Instead of choosing a profession based on its salary, I am choosing my future profession based upon how much I will enjoy it. Money is a common thing but happiness is a beautiful treasure. As a society, I think we should put less focus on materialism and put more focus on happiness.

    Iana W.
    Period 2.

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  7. Money can't by happiness is Prober Lane is trying to convey throughout this article and through his book. Momentary happiness is what money brings us, he explains. "If you won a lottery or if you get an increase in pay, it does have a momentary, important effect. You feel better. You're happier. That's short term. Very quickly you adjust to that, and the effect is dissipated, in the sense that you've set your standard higher" In the overall picture, yes money doesn't bring happiness, especially to the wealthy. Gatsby wasn't happy with all his money, he wanted Daisy, something money can't buy. But to some people in our society today, money brings food. It brings shelter, it brings a life. And that in turn brings happiness. So maybe today money doesn't directly bring happiness but there would be no such thing as 'Happiness' without money
    MaryColleen
    per. 2

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  8. Robert Lane has an interesting perspective on the relationship and happiness. In the text it says, "If you won a lottery or if you get an increase in pay, it does have a momentary, important effect. You feel better. You're happier. That's short term. Very quickly you adjust to that, and the effect is dissipated, in the sense that you've set your standard higher. Actually for long term there is no way that you can show that the rich are systematically happier than the not-so-rich. At least you can't in advanced countries." I found this interesting because in my mind I believed that money could buy happiness because whenever I had money and bought a new pair of shoes, for example, I felt happy. However, what I believe Professor Lane is getting at is that in the long term, material possessions don't mean a whole lot because what really matters is "well-being and health".
    Jake S.
    Period 2

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  9. Although Robert Lane had much to say on the topic, the section that had the highest impact on me was the section where Mr. Lane speaks about doing what you enjoy for a living. Although he is careful to say that one should be sure that the lifestyle they choose is a sustainable one, people should do what makes them happy. Even if you do not get rich off of your job, people who enjoy their work have it much better than those who may make a little more money than themselves. My favorite quote from the section reads, "If you enjoy what you're doing, it really doesn't matter how much you're earning." This quote by Mr. Lane again shows how it is important to find something that you enjoy to ensure happiness, not something that will earn you money. This also emphasizes his overall point that money isn't happiness, and that it is much more important to enjoy your life rather than be fixated on making money. I agree with Mr. Lane and this notion of his. I believe that today we are too focused on getting good grades and going to college to get a well paying job, not focusing on the more important matter of finding something that makes you happy. There is no amount of money in the world that will make you happy if you're miserable while earning it.

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  10. Robert Lane makes his point clear that money can't buy complete happiness. He then goes to say that companionship is more important than success and money when it comes to happiness. Having loving friends and family fills a void that nothing else can fill. People try to fill the emptiness with luxurious items. To other people, it may seem like they are happy because they have the nicest things. The reality is that without companionship the emptiness will always be there, no matter how rich you are. In the article it states, "The evidence is quite strong in every study of subjective well-being that a good family life contributes more to high subjective well-being -- happiness, if you like -- than anything else," This portrays the importance of having family and friends.

    Joe R

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  11. Robert Lane brings up an interesting theory that was made by economist Adam Smith, stating, "He said that happiness is not from economic gain in the material sense, but from what other people think of you." Lane agrees wholeheartedly with this; however if this theory is true, then Western society is operating completely backwards. I say this because nowadays many individuals do allow for society's view of him or her define how he or she view themselves, but Western society as a whole does not celebrate a culture of depth and moral structure; and instead celebrate a culture that bases its judgement solely on what can immediately be identified: social standing, fashion, wealth.
    Given that all people (especially young people) naturally want to be a part of some group, it is evident that this collective thought is one many have and will continue to have until its negative effects show people otherwise. For instance, the materialist spirit of Fitzgerald's time was infectious and ran rampant in the US until the Great Depression. With that in mind, there should be great alarm in seeing that spirit ingratiate itself back into the mentality of the Western world.

    Dan L
    Period 2

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  12. "If you enjoy what you're doing, it really doesn't matter how much you're earning, provided you're not poor. That's again why certain privileged classes, such as journalists and academics, who can do what they enjoy doing rather than what they have to do, have a greater sense of well-being." I think that this quote alone shows that no, money can't buy you happiness but it sure does add to it. If your'e doing a miserable job every day of your life, but making $100,000 a year, you're still not going to be very happy. BUt at the same time, if you absolutely adore your job, but live in a 600 sq ft apartment and eat ramen every night, you're still not going to be very happy. You have to find a happy medium, you have to enjoy what you do but also be practical about it and know that it will allow you to live the life you need and want.

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