However, once we remove the stress of poverty or debt, additional income does not bring about additional happiness. This is counterintuitive to a lot of us because we have firsthand experience that a little more money brings joy. Early in my career, I remember every tiny increase in my hourly wage, which started at $3.35 an hour because I am that old, as putting a huge smile on my face, and my first salaried position after graduate school had me dancing in the streets. Those experiences are enough to train our brain into thinking that lasting happiness has a price tag and someday when we hit
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