The Pursuit Of Happiness In TED Talk By John Stuart Mill

Human beings have always assumed that to be happy one must acquire lots of materialistic goods, but studies have shown that one’s happiness is not dependent on buying things for oneself. Philosopher John Stuart Mill believes that happiness is only achieved by not focusing on one’s own happiness, but one has to be selfless to be happy. John Stuart Mill’s view on happiness is true, in that people find happiness by serving others as well as simply spending their own money on others.
Servicing others has been found to make people happier with their lives. Andy Whimmer, a volunteer at the Home for the Dying and Destitute in India says that “[he] feels happier doing the work of God than [he] did having a materialistic life” (Belic). Andy feels happier …show more content…
After conducting an experiment where some individuals had to spend money on themselves and others had to spend money on other people. The result was that “those who spent money on others were happier, and those who spent money on themselves -- nothing changed.” (Norton) Buying things for others can make one actually happy, so it is apparent that if one spends money on others, than one will be happier than he/she would have been spending money on his/herself. So with this in mind, it can be said that money can indeed buy happiness, if it is spent on the satisfaction of …show more content…
People can find happiness in serving others and by simply spending their own money to make others happier. While some may say that the feeling of satisfaction is temporary, many individuals did feel happier with their lives because they continued to help others and turn their focuses away from their own happiness. Whenever people think of happiness, they tend to think of something or someone they want, but true happiness comes not from focusing on oneself but from focusing on other people and what makes them