Statistics conducted in the United States over the past few decades puzzle psychologists and social sciences experts. It would appear that, with each generation, the level of overall well-being and happiness is decreasing, while dissatisfaction increases constantly. Researchers say that this is owed to the fact that more money do not necessarily equal more happiness. This is especially true in countries that are already rich, but is most obvious in the US, which is currently the richest nation in the world.
According to experts, people's level of happiness initially increases right alongside their monetary gains. But this only happens until those individuals escape the limit of poverty. Once their very existence is no longer threatened by starvation, people tend to experience lower and lower boosts in well-being, until any growth stops completely. In other words, more money doesn't necessarily bring more happiness. What's very interesting to note about this research is the fact that its conclusions drastically contradict the most basic assumption about capitalist societies, which is that more money equal more happiness.
Scientist Daniel Gilbert some time ago proposed the “experience-stretching hypothesis” as a possible explanation for this apparent dichotomy. He explained that a person gets a certain amount of pleasure out of doing something at one time, but then, by repeatedly doing the same thing, the level of pleasure obtained decreases. After years and years, it may be possible that individuals no longer get any kind of satisfaction from actions that would in the past make them very happy,
Wired reports.
In the latest issue of the respected journal Psychological Science, experts at the University of Liege argue for the hypothesis Gilbert set forth. They say that our tendency to try and treat ourselves whenever we have more money backfires almost all the time. If, for example, we spend money on expensive gadgets and on luxury suites, we lose our ability to enjoy simple things, such as a candy bar. “Taken together, our findings provide evidence for the provocative notion that having access to the best things in life may actually undermine one’s ability to reap enjoyment from life’s small pleasures,” the team writes in its journal entry.
“Our research demonstrates that a simple reminder of wealth produces the same deleterious effects as actual wealth on an individual’s ability to savor, suggesting that perceived access to pleasurable experiences may be sufficient to impair everyday savoring. In other words, one need not actually visit the pyramids of Egypt or spend a week at the legendary Banff spas in Canada for one’s savoring ability to be impaired—simply knowing that these peak experiences are readily available may increase one’s tendency to take the small pleasures of daily life for granted,” the researchers conclude.
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