What is happiness? According to the dictionary, happiness is a mental or emotional state of positive or pleasant emotions. Now think closely, what does happiness mean to you? Many people say money can’t buy you happiness, some people say it can. People say, “How can you not be happy when you have a ton of money?” But people also say, “Having too much money can get in the way of happiness.” To me money is just green paper that lets you buy things you want and need. But can this green paper really buy you happiness? After reading this paper of mine, think about the question again and what do you believe is true.
I am going to share with you a little story about someone that thinks money can’t buy happiness. This story is written by a seventeen year old girl named Michelle who was asked this question for an interview for New York Daily News, so read and think about her story:
I never really thought the expression, “money can’t buy happiness”, was true. As an infant, just by observing the people around me, I observed when they would obtain money and a huge grin would spread across their face, the corners of their smile spreading from ear to ear. Whenever I would see that grin and a person’s face light up at the sight of a crisp, green bill it would make me believe that I had proved the famous expression wrong. Now that I’ve grown up and matured, my idea of that expression has changed. As of now, I am able to reflect on life more and look deeper into things and particularly into people more than I was able to do years ago. My ideas about this expression changed the most though because of the money situation my family had stumbled upon because of the failing economy. I remember being younger when the economy was doing well and waking up to twenty gifts for each of my three sisters and I. We used to believe that all of those presents, brought in because of money of course, were the best part of waking up on Christmas. Of course all of those toys and material items would make a child happy; however looking back it would only make them happy if it was given to them by somebody who bought it for them with love. Ever since the recession came along, my family hasn’t had quite as much to spend as we used to. Now when my sisters and I wake up on Christmas, and even though we know we didn’t get exactly what we wanted, we’re still happier than we ever were. All of us mostly feel this way because we wake up on Christmas together and for that, we are grateful. I know some extremely wealthy people who have everything a child or adult could ever ask for and a big house with expensive decorations, and they come to our regular sized, common home and they are actually jealous. They tell us how they would give anything to live in our home. I’m actually appreciative that my family doesn’t have all that money to spend because when you do, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters in life. To me, money is not what brings happiness, it’s the people who you’re surrounded by and the love you receive from them. Of course money can make it easier to find happiness and peace, then there’s no worrying about how you’re going to buy groceries or pay the bills, or pay for a doctor or dentist appointment. However, if you don’t have a family to share your riches with then the money means nothing.
The story to me made really good sense. It really persuaded me into thinking money doesn’t buy you happiness. Being loved by family and friends and any loved ones makes me happy, not getting money and buying the things I want. Being alive and having the supplies I need to survive makes me happy. What makes you happy? What makes you have a big smile on your face? I think that everybody has something different that makes them happy. It may be weird things that make them happy, it may be normal things; but it is okay because not everybody is the same and remember nobody is perfect. Now, when you hear the word money, what does this make you think of? Does it make you happy? Well of course money is going to make you happy, it makes everybody happy. Ask yourself what does it really mean “money can buy you happiness?” I mean happiness isn’t an item in Wal-Mart you go and buy off the shelf, so what does it mean? I believe it means that money makes you happy and that it is supposed to make your life awesome. Do you agree?
When people are asked “If you had one wish in the world, what would it be?” Most people say “I would wish to be rich.” But after researching about lives of rich people it isn’t as amazing as people think. Some people say that when they find love that they aren’t sure if they are loved for who they are or for their money. And when their kids get friends they don’t want their kids growing up questioning if people like them for them or because they are rich. Some people even think of the rich as snobby or snooty, because they think that the rich don’t care about anyone but themselves. Honestly how many rich people do you see donating