The theory of motivation exposed by Abraham Maslow at the beginning of the 20th century has a clear figure in his pyramid: it begins with the basic or biological needs that the individual needs and goes up sequentially until reaching the “Self-realization” at the top. It includes, among others, when the human being seeks his personal growth and all the attributes for his realization. His hypothesis is really interesting. Well, the pyramid was applied to this question: does money bring happiness? It can be concluded from the data of this study that once the label of self-fulfillment is reached, money ceases to be important and decisive to achieve happiness. The “hedonic adaptation” comes into play, which is to moderate our happiness following good news. With joy we receive the increase in salary, but following a few moments this fades into the background.
The debate regarding money and happiness celebrates decades and contradictions. The effects on the hedonic condition of well-being had a limit when people freed themselves and did not worry regarding the essentials. In the USA there is a publication that summarizes it; 75 thousand euros a year of salary and money stops counting on happiness. When we have satisfied the 5 stations of the Maslow pyramid, money is not relevant in relation to happiness. The phenomenon called “resource slowdown” occurs.
Sometimes donating money in a prosocial act produces joy and happiness, but for a very short time. Then the perception of having “misused” the money reaches the conscience of the experimental work groups. Work with students in Germany where a group initially donated for prosocial treatment of TB. After a while of this gesture the indicators of happiness decreased. Dalai Rama will be right when he affirms “happiness is not something ready. It comes from your own actions.” The research with the two groups of hypertensives in which one was asked to donate the money they gave him. After a period of follow-up, the blood pressure figures in this group had persistently decreased.
If we mix happiness and time, the findings are surprising. In a medical work group, colleagues were allowed to skip a number of activities that prevented them from spending more time with their family. The results showed that investing money in time-saving services is related to higher life satisfaction and happiness. And much less, when they invest money and it is spent on a material purchase. How many billionaires have we heard complain regarding the large amount of money they have in their wallet. It can be stated with certainty that money is necessary to live and allows us to develop as human beings. Economic crises are known to increase depression and anxiety states and this has recently been observed in every country in the world.
When people feel well, they get sick less often and have a better quality of life. When they are happy they are healthier. Happiness, that elusive word, depends on the brain and especially its neurotransmitters. Circulating dopamine travels through the pleasure and pain circuits, stimulating reward cycles. Its low levels trigger cognitive alterations, in attention especially in concentration. Recent evolutionary structural adaptations, orbitofrontal cortex of the prefrontal lobe, is tuned to levels of happiness and pleasure.
And the genetics of happiness? Many studies have shown that happiness has a genetic component and our chromosomes determine the tendency. Some exaggerate it (University of Minnesota, 1996: 50% genetics and 8% others) but perhaps what is accepted today is that 36% explains well-being and 32% satisfaction with the realities of life. How important it is to enjoy the present, have healthy habits and dress ourselves with optimism. These three elements united overcome the genetic tendency with which we come. It is the mark for the brain: our lifestyle.
Living guided by happiness should be the goal and there we find some paths where positive psychology shows us how to do it. Let’s fill ourselves with positive emotions all times: past, present and future. Optimal experiences Seligman proposes as stream of consciousness. Arm ourselves with relationships that nourish the feeling of well-being and guide us to seek the meaning of life: we are social elements. End by setting goals on the path to happiness. These are the achievements that we intend to achieve and that we are achieving.
In Forbes magazine, I found the article by the psychologist Kahneman and the economist Deaton -they won the Nobel Prize in Economics- and the conclusion of the 2010 work was that high income buys satisfaction in life, but not happiness. There is an interesting point in the final part of the reflection and that is that income is only a modest determinant of happiness and people should not focus more on money.
Diphthong:
And the money? It is a means that would allow to achieve the positive strengths.
