If You’re Happy and You Know It – Happiness

What makes a person happy? Happiness is an endless path in life. Everyone has a different opinion about what makes them happy. People have always been attentive to the issue of what makes humans happy. However, getting a large amount of money is a pursuit for many people, especially the young generation around the world. In the article, “Get Happy” by Walter Mosley, he states how, “Happiness is considered by most to be a subset of wealth” (87). Quote above explains how money is the first thing that comes in person’s mind that make them happy because with the money one can buy anything he wants.
Money is one of the most important things in over lives because we need it to have a home to live in, food to eat, clothes to wear, and to get from here to there. That’s where the “money can buy happiness” phrase comes in because people believe that since money can buy everything it can buy happiness too. However, I disagree and believe that happiness primarily comes from relationships. First of all, money cannot buy relationships in a person’s life. Family and friends are one of the most important sources of happiness for most people.
It doesn’t matter how much money a person has, if he doesn’t have any family or friends that he can share with, then it doesn’t bring very much happiness. As Mosley stated in his article, “It [Money] can only buy bigger TVs and comelier sex partners.. ” (87). above quote explains money can only buy stuff that can make a person temporary happy. For instance, some people are really rich but lonely because they have no one by their side, while others are poor but happy with their close friends and family.

In my personal experience, I have a friend back in India who was very rich and his parents got everything he wanted. When my parents bought me a bicycle, his parents bought him a bike. It looked like he had a perfect life, but once I got to know him better; I got to realize that the life I thought that was perfect because of money was actually not perfect. Whenever his parents came home they always fought about little things, they never eat dinner together and they don’t even care about their son. They didn’t have any connections between them.
So it’s true doesn’t matter how much wealth one have but one can never buy happiness that comes from one’s family. Secondly, Money is limited, it cannot last forever. Money can end easily and it cannot be obtained easily either. Even if money could buy happiness, it would only be for a little because things tend to disappear at some point. On the other hand, strong family bonds will never disappear but will be always by one’s side, continuing to bring one happiness. In addition, Mosley states, “how most of those people [wealthy people] will lose that wealth before they die” (87).
No matter how rich a person is but there always will be a time where all the money from the person will be gone. For example, my dad told me a story about this guy who was very wealthy in India but because of too much money he was too proud of himself and started breaking relationships with other people. He got caught in fraud for his business and everything was taken by the government. And just like that all the money was gone and there was no one by his side. In the article, “If You’re happy and you know it, You’re in Third” by Adriana Barton, she states about athlete names Ms.
Bahrke who got a third number in Olympic game and still says “ I’m going to be ‘Mrs. Happy. [Getting married]’” (84). She wasn’t sad that she couldn’t get a first place but she was happy that she is getting married; it shows how relationships can bring happiness. Thus, money cannot buy happiness. Lastly, money can negatively consume in one’s life. Wealth is a good thing but it also can ruin a person’s life instead of giving someone happiness. Money is very addictive; even if person has a lot of money he will often never be satisfied with what he has.
For example, instead, he will try to become wealthier and because of that he may not have time for his family or friends and will start losing relationships. It will have an effect on their children, and at the end, all he will have is money but no one else at his side. In the article, “What you don’t know makes you nervous,” by Daniel Gilbert, he states, “psychologists and economists now know that although the very rich are no happier than the merely rich… ” (80). the above quote states how most of the time people who has a lot money are the one that are not happy.
If money makes a one happy then why wealthy people are are not happier than the poor people? The main reason is relationships. Wealthy people are so into making money that it makes them so blind that they cannot see the happiness that their family can bring to them. And at the end they have all the money but they don’t have any shoulders to cry on or to share the money, happiness with. While poor people might don’t have money but they have the family that takes care of each other which is most important happiness a person can have. Thus, relationships can bring a person long lasting happiness but money won’t.
Too much money can make person’s life depressed instead of giving happiness. But family will always be there by one’s side. In conclusion, I don’t think that it? s somehow possible to “buy happiness”. Thus, we should be aware that it is friendships and family that truly bring us the happiness to which we aspire. Money might be able to make people temporarily happy but that’s not the point, the point is that it can’t buy anyone long lasting happiness. Being happy is an emotion it is something you sense, not something you buy. That is why happiness is priceless. Works Cited
Barton Adriana. “ If You’re Happy and You Know It, You’re in Third. ” America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. 9th ed. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,2011. 79-81. Print. Gilbert, Daniel. “What You Don’t Know Makes You Nervous. ” America Now: Short Readings from Recent Periodicals. 9th ed. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 79- 81. Print. Mosley Walter. “Get Happy. ” America now: Short Readings From Recent Periodicals. 9th Ed. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 79-81. Print.