The Wealthy and Happy Unicorn
Don’t believe the billboards. Lottery advertisers are lying to you. Wealth won’t make you happy. In fact, the opposite is true. Almost everywhere in the world, there’s a direct connection between a society’s wealth and its misery. This research is so well-known that it has become the foundation for groundbreaking international studies, such as the Global Flourishing Study.
Arthur Brooks isn’t convinced that wealth and happiness are necessarily at odds. No matter how much wealth one has, this may only appear to be the case on the surface. You probably don’t recognize Brooks’ name—he’s a reporter for The Atlantic and a Harvard University researcher with extensive experience in the Global Flourishing Study.
I mentioned this study in an earlier article because of its profound implications. Essentially, the study suggests that if you’re wealthy, you may be unhappy. (Yes, you read that correctly.) According to this study, the greater your wealth, the lower your level of happiness.
Researchers from around the globe have teamed up to create the Global Flourishing Study, a fascinating survey exploring the well-being of over 200,000 individuals from 22 countries!1
This study is about more than just money; it explores the joy in your lives by examining different aspects of happiness. Recently, the mainstream media weighed in on the findings, which reveal a drop in happiness among young adults in wealthier countries. This is a radical departure from the idea that wealth brings happiness.
The Flourishing Study challenges everything about the society you live in. Everywhere I’ve traveled around the globe, people are bombarded with images and messages claiming that wealth produces happiness.
If riches don’t produce happiness, what does? This is where the Global Flourishing Study does its best work. It reveals conclusively that true happiness comes from deep relationships. There’s a genuine unicorn waiting—if you’ll follow the logic with me for just a second.
Arthur Brooks isn’t convinced that wealth and happiness are necessarily at odds. No matter how much wealth one has, this may only appear to be the case on the surface. You probably don’t recognize Brooks’ name—he’s a reporter for The Atlantic and a Harvard University researcher with extensive experience in the Global Flourishing Study.
I mentioned this study in an earlier article because of its profound implications. Essentially, the study suggests that if you’re wealthy, you may be unhappy. (Yes, you read that correctly.) According to this study, the greater your wealth, the lower your level of happiness.
Researchers from around the globe have teamed up to create the Global Flourishing Study, a fascinating survey exploring the well-being of over 200,000 individuals from 22 countries!1
This study is about more than just money; it explores the joy in your lives by examining different aspects of happiness. Recently, the mainstream media weighed in on the findings, which reveal a drop in happiness among young adults in wealthier countries. This is a radical departure from the idea that wealth brings happiness.
The Flourishing Study challenges everything about the society you live in. Everywhere I’ve traveled around the globe, people are bombarded with images and messages claiming that wealth produces happiness.
If riches don’t produce happiness, what does? This is where the Global Flourishing Study does its best work. It reveals conclusively that true happiness comes from deep relationships. There’s a genuine unicorn waiting—if you’ll follow the logic with me for just a second.
We all need genuine connections
Brooks challenges the notion of digital relationships. Sure, a temporary dopamine high is associated with having a large number of online followers. However, followership does not equal relationships!
It’s interesting to note that a decline in happiness might be linked to our hyper-connected lives. Often, the wealthiest societies also tend to be the most connected. So, even if someone has a lot of money and many online followers, those things alone don’t guarantee happiness. The study suggests that these factors might actually contribute to lower levels of happiness.
Cherishing close relationships with family and friends is extremely important, and you should prioritize it! Try to connect with your loved ones in person rather than through technology whenever you can. After all, it’s the human touch that touches you the deepest!
It’s interesting to note that a decline in happiness might be linked to our hyper-connected lives. Often, the wealthiest societies also tend to be the most connected. So, even if someone has a lot of money and many online followers, those things alone don’t guarantee happiness. The study suggests that these factors might actually contribute to lower levels of happiness.
Cherishing close relationships with family and friends is extremely important, and you should prioritize it! Try to connect with your loved ones in person rather than through technology whenever you can. After all, it’s the human touch that touches you the deepest!
Prioritize people over possessions
Here’s the best advice in a world increasingly focused on material success: prioritize genuine relationships, explore your inner life, and seek fulfillment beyond material possessions! True riches are found in people, not possessions.
Material comforts are great but cannot replace what your heart truly desires. Money cannot buy happiness; only meaning can provide that.
Brooks’s article challenges the mass media’s universal association of material wealth with happiness. The Global Flourishing Study shows that as wealth increases, so does the feeling of emptiness, with people reporting that they feel less fulfilled and connected.
Material comforts are great but cannot replace what your heart truly desires. Money cannot buy happiness; only meaning can provide that.
Brooks’s article challenges the mass media’s universal association of material wealth with happiness. The Global Flourishing Study shows that as wealth increases, so does the feeling of emptiness, with people reporting that they feel less fulfilled and connected.
Your relationship with Jesus matters most
Brooks’s article in The Atlantic shows how to find a genuine unicorn in human flourishing—someone who is both wealthy and genuinely happy. He points out that as more people in wealthy societies step away from religious affiliations, they may feel less meaning and connection in their lives, which can affect their happiness.
The trend of replacing faith with wealth is self-deceptive and counterproductive. You don’t have to be involved in organized religion to find meaning. People with beliefs, practices, and experiences outside of organized religion can rise above the daily grind and find purpose and meaning that even the wealthiest can only dream of having.
It’s possible to be both wealthy and happy at the same time! Just remember, placing your wealth and happiness in Jesus’ hands makes all the difference. He’s the one who can help you thrive, no matter what life throws your way.
The trend of replacing faith with wealth is self-deceptive and counterproductive. You don’t have to be involved in organized religion to find meaning. People with beliefs, practices, and experiences outside of organized religion can rise above the daily grind and find purpose and meaning that even the wealthiest can only dream of having.
It’s possible to be both wealthy and happy at the same time! Just remember, placing your wealth and happiness in Jesus’ hands makes all the difference. He’s the one who can help you thrive, no matter what life throws your way.
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