Can Money Buy Happiness Research Paper

Money, Love, and Greed: Can Money Buy Happiness?
“While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.” ― Groucho Marx
Many argue that money can offer many benefits to life and make it “worth living”. But can money truly buy the untouchable items in life like love, happiness, and acceptance? Every individual has a different definition of how to achieve happiness in life, but many individuals associate that happiness with affluence. Affluence may give an individual the stability and materialistic values that are wanted in life, but it does not guarantee true happiness. Looking at the famous character Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, Scrooge had all of the wealth, power, and all of the material possessions that his money could buy yet in his heart he was still missing true happiness that came from the family and friends around him. Even though money can buy possessions that can give a person “happiness” the true desires for something deeper lie embedded in more than material values. …show more content…
Robin Williams, an actor, comedian, and icon for many individuals throughout his lifetime. Williams is worth well over a million dollars and has money that many people can only dream of. But if money could buy happiness one would wonder why Robin Williams ended his life even though he had all of the happiness money could buy. Williams could have been possibly missing the unconditional love from a loved one, acceptance, or maybe he could not cope with an internal issue. It was known that Williams was suffering from depression before he passed but looking at those who believe money could buy happiness Williams would have no reason to be in such a dark state in life. From this example, it is shown that money is not the key to a happy life despite access to the world at one's