They say that happiness, like health, cannot be bought, but U.S. residents disagree. The survey showed that 94% of Americans believe happiness can be bought – and they even know for how much.
A survey conducted by CNN Money revealed that a vast majority of Americans could name a money equivalent to happiness. In order to be happy, Americans should earn at least $ 100,000 per year. Now the annual income of an average American family is only $ 50,000, which is not enough to buy happiness.
10% of the 1000 people who took part in the survey said they would be happy earning less than $ 30,000 per year. Only 6% agreed with the statement that you cannot buy happiness. Yet the majority of Americans agreed that the level of happiness depended on the amount of cash, which means happiness for them is primarily a material thing, as well as certain independence.
A little earlier, scientists from Princeton University had conducted another research, which showed that the level of happiness increased with the amount of money earned, but only to a certain point. If an American earned over $ 75,000 a year, then it ceased to increase the level of happiness. Psychologists say that money is definitely able to buy “life satisfaction”, but not happiness, which is evaluated in terms of emotional well-being.
For many, earnings are a record of their own competence. So, those who earn little often feel like losers.
