Micheal Norton is a business school professor. He is interested in the effect of money on how people feel.
Some people believe that having a lot of money will make them happy. For example, many people think that if they win the lottery, they will be happy. However many lottery winners overspend and have many debts. Also, they have conflicts because their friends and family want gifts of money, or loans. Debts and conflicts make people unhappy. This example about lottery winners shows that,”money can’t buy happiness.” But is that always true?
Norton believe that money can buy happiness. Why? He has done experiments on how people behave with money. In one experiment, some university students spent money on themselves and some students spent money other people. Afterward, the research shows that students that spent money on others felt happier. Michael Norton did this type of money experiment all over the world with people of all ages. Each time, the result was the same-spending money on other improved the happiness of the giver.