20 Nov Money and happiness – it matters, but not as much as you think!
On one otherwise unremarkable day, countless eons ago, one of our shrewder ancestors first exchanged puka shells, a red pebble, or a nugget of shiny metal for a wildebeest steak and human commerce was born. Or, more accurately, money was born. Ever since then people have been trying to link money and happiness. Are we happier with more money? Are we less happy with less money?
When asked if she is happy, Lara Aknin just laughs. Aknin is a doctoral student working with Dr. Michael Norton, Assistant Professor at Harvard Business School, and Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, Professor of Psychology at UBC. They are part of a growing body of researchers examining the links between money and happiness.
Lara speaks enthusiastically about her research and the conversation ranges from various psychological theories, to the recent economic crisis, to the country of Bhutan, the small Himalayan kingdom which measures its Gross National Happiness (GNH) along with its GDP.
_ã–Money is only one factor that influences happiness,_ã Aknin says. _ã–Work in the fields of Social and Positive Psychology, shows that personal relationships, religious beliefs, exercise, feelings of gratitude, random acts of kindness, as well as higher income, can all affect our sense of well being._ã
When asked if she is happy, Lara Aknin just laughs. Aknin is a doctoral student working with Dr. Michael Norton, Assistant Professor at Harvard Business School, and Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, Professor of Psychology at UBC. They are part of a growing body of researchers examining the links between money and happiness.
Lara speaks enthusiastically about her research and the conversation ranges from various psychological theories, to the recent economic crisis, to the country of Bhutan, the small Himalayan kingdom which measures its Gross National Happiness (GNH) along with its GDP.
_ã–Money is only one factor that influences happiness,_ã Aknin says. _ã–Work in the fields of Social and Positive Psychology, shows that personal relationships, religious beliefs, exercise, feelings of gratitude, random acts of kindness, as well as higher income, can all affect our sense of well being._ã
Read more of this fascinating research, exploring the links between money and happiness – click here