According to Recent Studies, Spending on Yourself is Overrated
A compelling NY Times article recently cited studies that show:
1. That people who make twice as much money as others are not twice as happy
2. That there is a point where earning more money is no longer beneficial (it’s much lower than you think)
3. That spending on others is more enjoyable than spending on ourselves.
(Read the full NYT article here)
The article states: Imagine walking down the street to work and being approached by our student Lara Aknin, who hands you an envelope. You open the envelope and find $20 and a slip of paper, which tells you to spend the cash on something for yourself by the end of the day. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Now imagine instead that the slip of paper told you to spend the cash on someone else. Being generous is nice, sure, but would using the money to benefit someone else actually make you happier than buying yourself the belt, DVD or apps you’ve been dying to get? Yes, and it’s not even close.
Surprised? Don’t be. These are not new conclusions; they may just be new to some of us.
Over 3000 years ago King Solomon wrote: A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed, (Proverbs 11:25).
Welcome to the reality that less is more. I’m not promoting poverty as a means to happiness. Hunger and poverty are two things the Bible clearly speaks against and two things God hates. That same Bible calls for simplicity in living and warns against the pursuit of more. Those who pursue things over God only end up frustrated. Those who trust in their wealth instead of God only come to ruin.
Want to be refreshed today? Go shopping . . . . for someone else!
