I am currently reading a book entitled “Gross National Happiness” by Arthur C. Brooks. I ordered the book after hearing him on a radio program. Brooks is a tenured Professor of Business and Government Policy at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and Whitman School of Management. Whew!! That was a mouthful. He is also a Christian.
I have been intrigued by some of the things that he says. The chapter that I am currently reading is titled “Does Money Buy Happiness?” I think we all know that it does NOT, but some of the data he gives is fascinating. Let me quote:
“At any given moment richer individuals within a country tend to be happier than poorer individuals.” p.120 Ok, that is not difficult to understand.
“This is strange, because we know that money by itself doesn’t bring much happiness. Many economists look at these facts and conclude that though we really don’t care about having money for its own sake, we do care about having more money than others. In other words, my money only makes me happy when I notice that I am richer than you. Or that you are poorer than me, of course. (Like the old saying goes, ‘It’s not enough to succeed—your friends have to fail, too.)'”p.120
As I read that paragraph, I thought, how very strange. I would never have even considered that to be true. But apparently there are some studies that back up this idea. Again, let me quote from Brooks’ book:
“In another study involving faculty, staff, and students at Harvard University, participants were asked to choose between earning $50,000 per year while others made $25,000, or earning $100,000 per year while others made $200,000. The researchers stipulated that prices of goods and services would be the same in both cases, so a higher salary really meant being able to own a nicer home, buy a nicer car, or do whatever else they wanted with the extra money. But those materialistic perquisites mattered little to most people: Fifty-six percent chose the first option, hypothetically forgoing $50,000 per year simply to maintain a position of relative affluence.” p.121
He goes on to say, “what the data tell us is that richer people are happier then poorer people because their relative prosperity makes them feel successful.” p.121
Does that stun you like it did me? As I pondered on this information it hit me that probably the people (the 56%) who gave those answers in that study didn’t realize why they answered the way they did.
How deceitfully wicked our hearts can be! We would do well to remember Proverbs 4:32: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
