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Happiness Peaks at $75,000

In other words, "money helps, but only so much."
 
Money doesn't buy happiness, but poverty does cause unhappiness.


Liberals think that we should work to reduce suffering in our society. This is scientific vindication that taxing the rich and providing safety nets to mitigate the effects of poverty will achieve that result.
 
my happy meal makes me happy :3

happy-meal-1.jpg
 
The majority of Americans make less than $75k so they will never see that standard at all. I don't know why they even call it "standard of living" when the majority are not even at that level. It's more like the affluent standard of living, and everyone else is left chasing it.

The thing I garner the most from this report is that we don't need to live in a society where you require so much money to live well, yet we have chosen to make it a two-tier system. Everyone could be cared for and live well if we had different spending priorities from top to bottom. It's sad really.

Our society has become so greed driven.
 
Goshin said:
Racist *******. :mrgreen:



(j/k)
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Personally, I think the difference is entirely cultural.

The real question being, do third or fourth generation children who are fully americanized maintain this higher standard of living over other ethnicities?
 
Befuddled_Stoner said:
Liberals think that we should work to reduce suffering in our society. This is scientific vindication that taxing the rich and providing safety nets to mitigate the effects of poverty will achieve that result.
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While somewhat true, also remember that many times, for every attempt to remove a social ill, one is likely to strengthen a new social ill.
 
Fiddytree said:
While somewhat true, also remember that many times, for every attempt to remove a social ill, one is likely to strengthen a new social ill.
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I acknowledge the Law of Unintended Consequences, but I reprove with the Perfect Solution Fallacy.
 
—until it hit $75,000. After that, their daily emotional well-being flat-lined. “Your emotional well-being is as good as it's going to get at $75,000,” Deaton tells Gallup's Management Journal. “It’s like you hit some sort of ceiling.”
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Try telling that to a tycoon as he snorts cocaine off of a 3rd world childs head and plans his next dollar investment on a celebrities death.
 
Temporal said:
The majority of Americans make less than $75k so they will never see that standard at all. I don't know why they even call it "standard of living" when the majority are not even at that level. It's more like the affluent standard of living, and everyone else is left chasing it.

The thing I garner the most from this report is that we don't need to live in a society where you require so much money to live well, yet we have chosen to make it a two-tier system. Everyone could be cared for and live well if we had different spending priorities from top to bottom. It's sad really.

Our society has become so greed driven.
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Everyone is greedy to a certain extent, just another form of ambition in most cases.
 
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I'm surprised the study doesn't consider the relative costs of living at different locations. Someone in Muskogee OK would be much happier with 75k than someone in NYC. Their happiness meter should measure the income to CoL ratio, rather than a flat dollar amount.
 
dirtpoorchris said:
Try telling that to a tycoon as he snorts cocaine off of a 3rd world childs head and plans his next dollar investment on a celebrities death.
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I dont know about tycoons but snorting cocaine off a third world childs head would not be that enjoyable to me. Off a hot swedish or Korean womans body yes, but a third world childs head, not so much
 
MaggieD said:
Interesting. I guess it makes sense, though. $75,000 income with bennies will buy a family a house, couple cars, take a nice vacation, and allow them to live rather well while still saving some money for kids' college, whatever.

Trouble is...people haven't learned to live at their means or below. So they're always needing "more."
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75k in Chicago...that should cover your taxes. Just kidding. 75k is tough to get by here in Connecticut, unless you live away from the cities.
 
I learned about this in a graduate psychology course called Positive Psychology at the University of Michigan.

Would've been cheaper to learn about it here I guess.
 
Im still going to go on the conclusion that money does not make people happy.
 
I think it is because having money doesn't make you happy - not having money makes you unhappy. There is no way to be completely happy when you don't know how you are going to afford basic things. Those problems begin to go away at around that mark, I am sure.
 
whysoserious said:
I think it is because having money doesn't make you happy - not having money makes you unhappy. There is no way to be completely happy when you don't know how you are going to afford basic things. Those problems begin to go away at around that mark, I am sure.
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I think people feel stress and uncertainty and translate that into happiness or lack of.

Neomalthusian said:
I learned about this in a graduate psychology course called Positive Psychology at the University of Michigan.

Would've been cheaper to learn about it here I guess.
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Haha - I took a Social Problems class that discusses a little bit of everything that we touch on here at the forum - I knew everything already and ended up debating my teacher a lot.
 
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Goshin said:
One big problem: Most people don't make anywhere near 75K take-home-per-household. (Let alone per individual paycheck). If you wonder why the peasants are revolting, well here's your answer... when you can't afford what your society touts as the basic standard of living, you tend to be disenchanted with your lot... and half of America is NEVER going to bring home 75k a year.
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Im glad I read the thread before I posted, because I would have posted the identical thing....thats the problem in america...ONLY and I stress ONLY public workers are making anywhere near 75k...and they are the targets of the teaparty elected Govs as MAKING TOO MUCH money. The rich in this country TAKE too much at the expense of everyone else.
 
lpast said:
Im glad I read the thread before I posted, because I would have posted the identical thing....thats the problem in america...ONLY and I stress ONLY public workers are making anywhere near 75k...and they are the targets of the teaparty elected Govs as MAKING TOO MUCH money. The rich in this country TAKE too much at the expense of everyone else.
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I think that this is a hoot. The TP isn't bitching because public sector employees make too much, they are bitching because the difference between private and public sector salaries for the same jobs is so lop sided. And when you add in benefits like pension, and HC plans, it is astounding. $75K isn't a bad income, and the poll is gross, anything in life is calculated on gross income. But I say being in that bracket for the household, I'd like to see whom they polled. Because, I'd sure like to top that 6 digit level.

The more you have, the more you want.


j-mac
 
ahem... IQ question here guys
If happiness peaks at USD75,000, what peaks at USD15Trillion in debt?
 
Klaus.C said:
ahem... IQ question here guys
If happiness peaks at USD75,000, what peaks at USD15Trillion in debt?
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A. Government Spending
B. Our butt kissing of China
C. Our ability to be a world leader
D. Political Tension
E. All of the above.
 
I think it really is just a feeling of being financially secure that makes people happy. Then people can concentrate on planning for the good things, like vacations, entertainment, and children's futures, instead of worrying about having money to pay for their obligations (rent, food, utilities, car, child needs, etc.), especially if something unexpected pops up.

My husband and I make just a little less than that (counting BAH) plus we have medical and dental through the Navy. We still struggle a little considering how much food costs us but we are still pretty happy. We know that our kids will be fed, can be taken to the doctor without worrying about paying for it, and we all have a place to live with water and electricity as part of the rent. We have some luxuries too (nothing major) and can help our families out every now and then as well. But just a couple of years ago we were living off of 20K a year, and no health insurance. That is stressful. Every month you are hoping that you or your kids don't get hurt or sick and wondering if you will have enough money for food, rent and utilities and praying the car doesn't break down.
 
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