Being able to afford many things contributes to our life satisfaction, but it also quickly damages the climate and environment. Consumption that makes you happy is also sustainable.
Money makes you happier – researchers have long agreed on this point. A new Study has now confirmed this connection again. This does not mean that everyone will always be happier as income increases. But in the grand scheme of things, that’s definitely true, he says Sociologist Rasmus Hoffmannwho researches social inequality at the University of Bamberg, among other things.
Money opens doors
A higher income does not make you happier just because the account balance increases. “Of course, things like security and independence are also related to income,” explains Rasmus Hoffmann. Money makes many things in our lives easier and also contributes to how we are perceived by others.
“A very important point is reputation and prestige, which is actually one of the reasons why income makes you happier.”
Rasmus Hoffman, sociologist
If we have more money at our disposal, we can afford more and this possibility also contributes to life satisfaction again, says the sociologist and happiness researcher Jan Delhey. Because in a modern society, social participation is also expressed in consumer participation.
“In any case, we can see that those who can afford little fall behind a little more clearly in terms of life satisfaction than the general population.”
Jan Delhey, happiness researcher
However, buying new things over and over again is not very sustainable. But sociologist Jan Delhey is of the opinion that we don’t necessarily have to choose between consumption, which makes us happy, and responsibility for our planet.
We can also consume experiences
The trick: rather spend money on experiences than on new products. “With consumer goods, it is often the case that we compare and that can then reduce the joy of the product,” explains Jan Delhey. In the case of experiences, however, this devaluation dynamic is not so strong.
“If we had a nice holiday, it doesn’t make it any less nice that a neighbor also had a nice holiday.”
Jan Delhey, happiness researcher
With this form of consumption, environmental and climate protection can also be taken into account. If you don’t have to travel by car or plane for every experience, you have a good chance of happy consumption that is at least somewhat sustainable.
