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Can Money Really Buy Happiness?



If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else

The quote above is the appropriate translation of a Chinese proverb. But, if you ask me, I think that proverb needs some editing because they missed out a salient point or piece of information which is, if you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone with a part of the fortune you inherited.

So, what really is happiness? I think it to be nothing more than just a state of the mind. What also is money? In similar vein, I would simply call it nothing but a material means of exchange for things in the material world. What impasse do we have then? It is not probable to acquire things of the mind i.e. immaterial things with a material form of exchange which is money. 
But, holding on to that position would bring about a lot of logical conundrum. Let us consider whether a state of mind can adversely affect a material state. What can we describe frustration as? Simply put, it is a state of mind which affects one`s ability to ratiocinate and as such, the fellow in question would usually have etched on his face a sign of the frustration. As such, what then do we get? We have on our hands a material representation of what is going on in the person`s state of mind. This basically is to prove that what happens in the mind can affect what transpires in the physical or material sphere. Now, if the state of mind can affect the physical, the physical should also be able to affect the state of mind.
What then do we have when happiness is defined as “emotions experienced when in a state of well-being”. It literally translates as looking for situations, scenarios, events, objects or what-have-you that would ultimately put your inner self in a state of well-being. Some might argue that situations, scenarios, events and all such do not necessarily require money to be effected. That could be true but, some scenarios require money. So, let us shelve the scenarios that do not need money to put you in a state of well-being and focus on those scenarios that need money.
Do well to remind yourself that our aim is to show that money can buy happiness. As is the case, our logical standpoint is complete and I would love to state it.
I argued that happiness is a mental state and money a non-mental (material) state. I went further to argue that if a mental state using the example of frustration can affect a material framework (the face), then the physical should be able to affect the mental equally.
I digressed at this point to make another analysis following the fact that happiness has been defined as “emotions experienced when in a state of well-being” and that the well-being of any individual can be translated into scenarios, events, objects etc. that may or may not require money. I agreed to follow through with the scenarios and possibly events that do need money. As such, this is the conclusion we would logically get. If money can be used to “buy” the scenarios, situations, events and possibly objects that would help put a person in a state of well-being, and a state of well-being is essential to being happy. It systematically translates to us that the age long argument about money not being able to “buy” happiness is definitely wrong. 

If money can positively affect your state of well-being, then money can surely buy you happiness.



By: Emmanuel
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Hi! thank you for reading, now it is your turn to speak! Lets see what you think about this passage. Your opinion is highly welcomed!!!

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