From the time of the ancients to modern day civiliazation, the question of “how can people truly be happy?” has existed. At the very start of civilization, it was merely limited to how much of a good (e.g. land, cattle, etc.) a person had, but when money was introduced to the world, the argument that money could buy happiness surfaced.
“A certain amount of money can buy you happiness.”
This phrase, however, has become too much of a general statement. People who are driven to work for money often have the misconception that just by getting rich, they walk a sure-fire path to happiness. In my opinion, money does not directly PROVIDE the happiness we all want.
Money does not have feelings, it is a neutral instrument and we can use it to our benefit by allowing us to make choices. Choices that will give us freedom and flexibility.
A poor man who has an income below that of self-subsistence would not have the choice of being hungry or not being hungry. A rich man, however, could choose to eat foie gras or some juicy steak, and he could by all means go fasting if he wanted to!
The jist of this is that it’s not how much money you have, but how you use it to set you free.
Resources:
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/100908/science/science_us_money_happiness