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Money makes you happy – if you give it away

ANNE MCILROY

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 9:34 AM EDT 24/03/08

UBC study finds spending on others increases happiness ...Read the full article

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  1. charlie brown from Canada writes: Interesting. Predictable. Another case of academe spending tax payers dollars on what every body already knows. The new, or not so new, academic dicipline of "obiviology". More grants required to further studies on this topic and a myriad of others.
  2. michael moore from toronto, Canada writes: How appropriate to release this study on Maundy Thursday. If you don't know why, look it up.
  3. harry carnie from Northern, B.C., Canada writes: Golly ...GEE ... I just enjoy making people happy

    send ME your money and "lighten your life".

    I will unselfishly suffer .
    .
  4. E C from Canada writes: It is a good thing that Canadian scientists are publishing in high impact journals such as Science. Keep up the good work.
  5. karl prosek from Vancouver, BC, Canada writes: This is great research that defeats the (one and only) socialist mantra that giving to charity is not enjoyable thus higher taxes are justified for the ultimate social good.

    Since the socialist mantra is provably untrue - citizens have a right to demand lower taxes and less government "social programs". Charitable donations are both effective and enjoyable.

    These research findings also encourages people to focus on the needs of others in a tangible way (gifts) that can make both people happy. I am very big into buying thoughtful gifts for others I know as society isn't "out there" - it is in every one of my relationships.
  6. James P from Spruce Grove, Canada writes: https://www.statebanks.com/News/PayItForward.aspx

    This bank seemed to have figured it out already, as have millions of others. Still, good work UBC!
  7. Paul Quinton from Luyksgestel, Netherlands writes: Most of the studies mentioned only confirm a correlation between happiness and giving money away.
    I think that the more likely causal link is that happy people like giving, rather than giving makes you happy.
    The test with the students involved only 46 students which is a very small sample.
    Also measuring happiness by a questionnaire is notoriously unreliable.
  8. Dead Parrot Sketch from Canada writes: G and M seems to have obliterated all the previous postings here that were insightful

    policy implications - if happiness levels level off with income then it make sense for the rich to support the poor - even adam smith recognises this basic point in his studies - when he notes that

    "How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature which interest him in the fortune of others and render their happiness necessary to him though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it."

    (there are only so many yachts a rich person can enjoy) - With the greater part of rich people, the chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches, which in their eyes is never so complete as when they appear to possess those decisive marks of opulence which nobody can possess but themselves

    gdp/capita are correlated but level off
    very poor people are not happy - no surprise - but having more money does not necessarily mean more happiness - so if you follow the logic of this study - we can increase total happiness in society by encouraging the wealthy to dispense their incomes through charities and the like

    a UBC study for sure
  9. Alberto Bayo from Canada writes: I just gave a whole lot of money to my mechanic. I wasn't happy.
  10. The choices we make decide our place in life from Canada writes: I feel so incredibly overjoyed every 2 weeks when I give almost 40% of my paycheque to the government in the form of taxes, CPP and EI premiums. I feel even more overjoyed when I give another 15% (on average) to the government every time I purchase something. If this study has any foundation in reality at all, Canadians should be among the happiest people in the world.

    No? Why not?
  11. Rain Couver from Canada writes: I give money away all the time. I give money to the gas station, grocery store, all levels of government, mortgage, etc.

    It would make me happier to save some money.
  12. Krusty G from Ontariario, Canada writes: .
    Latest study - "How to miss the point" by most of the G&M posters above.
  13. harry carnie from Northern, B.C., Canada writes: Krusty G...NOT missed..just so OBVIOUS it cannot be taken seriously...lighten up.
  14. Elaine In BC from Canada writes: To "choices we make" :
    Not that it has anything to do with the taxes we pay, but Canadians are among the happiest people in the world. Could be because it is the best place to live in the world. Any Canadian who doesn't think so should try living someplace else for a while.
  15. harry carnie from Northern, B.C., Canada writes: Elaine IN BC.........U "go it".. enjoy your week end.
  16. JEFF KITZ from now in Australia, Canada writes: Elaine in B.C. stated "but Canadians are among the happiest peoplein the world" Well according to The 'happy planet index' Canada ranks 111 out of 178 countries. I think that is not one of the happiest ,if my high school math is correct.
    The happiest is a country called Vanuatu. A country that just covers the basics of food and shelter. Maybe if we didn't want so much of "consumer goods" we might be happier. Or it might be the fact that there is NO McDonalds in Vanuatu?
  17. Mark Brown from Toronto, Canada writes: I thought happiness is yelling 'Bingo'!?
  18. Elaine In BC from Canada writes: No McDonalds would certainly help. My comment comes from human communication and experience, not from some phony research done by God knows who, based on God knows what. They certainly didn't ask me or anyone in Canada that I know. Maybe there are people in Canada who don't know how well off they are, but around here we (figuratively) kiss the ground we live on, especially after returning from somewhere else, and give thanks to our ancestors for letting us be born here.
    Anyone who thinks otherwise, once again, is welcome to try living somewhere else. It would make me "happy" to "give" you something toward your one-way ticket and I will "happily" help you pack.
    Thank you.
  19. Prashanta Dhakal from Canada writes: charlie brown wrote: "Interesting. Predictable. Another case of academe spending tax payers dollars on what every body already knows."

    It wasn't obvious to the 69% of American college students, and it wasn't obvious to me. Suspicion doesn't equal proof. I think this is one of the more interesting articles I've read recently.
  20. james cyr from Balmertown, Ontario, Canada writes:
    This is the biggest bunch of altruistic claptrap that I have ever read!
  21. Nom De Plume from Victoria, Canada writes: Financial success is much like sexual pleasure. It's not much fun to get it if you can't give it at the same time. Anyone who has ever experienced financial reward beyond their expectations, has also experienced the need to share it in order to make it meaningful. This is a human thing and not surprising - all truly rewarding life experiences (other than masterbation perhaps) involve sharing pleasures and successes with others. Otherwise where is the reference point for the success ? Anyone here who speaks otherwise is just jacking off the way I see it.
  22. aniphylactic shock troops from Victoria, Canada writes: Elaine writes: ...
    Canadians are among the happiest people in the world.
    Could be because it is the best place to live in the world.
    Any Canadian who doesn't think so should try living someplace else for a while.

    Says who?
    By what measure?
    That's so provincial it's laughable. Eg. Europeans stopped coming here a hundred years ago. Did they all lose their maps? Or could it be that your sample data only include the Third World sh!th0les you've visited or seen on TV?
  23. Elaine In BC from Canada writes: Right on, Nom de Plume. The G&M article talks about "giving" but really the key word is "sharing". Anyone who's ever taken part in a pot-luck supper knows what we mean - it's a lot more fun than sitting home alone with steak and lobster.
  24. Elaine In BC from Canada writes: aniphylactic from Victoria: Says me, and billions of other grateful Canadians. Are you still here? Why? My offer still holds, and those billions of other Canadians will put a few bucks in the pot to help you on your way. Where would you prefer to live? How about Iraq? Seems a lot of folks from there are desperate to get to Canada, so maybe you could just switch places with someone there and save a lot of trouble. How about India? Eastern Europe? Asia? South Africa? Ethiopia? Remember, this is a one-way ticket, and you can't whine your way back in just because you can't afford medical bills for non-existent doctors or prescription drugs, or the justice system isn't fair, or there's no government pension plan, or you have to pay to send your kids to school. You are unbelievable. You live in Victoria, of all places, and you're not satisfied with being Canadian? Please just go anywhere, get out of our sight, out of our lives, as soon as possible. Pick a country, any country, and don't ever come back.
  25. KL McLean from Canada writes: This study is to appear in the journal Science. One of the mandates of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), publishers of Science, is to "provide a voice for science on societal issues".

    Not particularly cutting-edge science, is this?

    The 'pursuit of truth' in this case could have been accomplished with considerably less effort and money.

    Walk to bookshelf. Dig around and find Bible. Blow dust off. Open. Read:

    "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving." Acts 20:35, spoken by Jesus Christ, circa 30-33 C.E.

    Cost: Free
  26. Carlos Nadie from Lower Economy, Canada writes: Having been born in the western world, and living in canada, amount to having won the grand prize in the lottery. I prefer to think of "giving" as sharing those winnings with friends and neighbours, whether they be here, or elsewhere in the world. Feels great, especially when you see how big a difference you can make.
  27. Sue W from Canada writes: World Database of Happiness Canada

    Enjoyment of life (1)(scale 0-10)

    7.6 > Canada, Guatemala, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway

    http://worlddatabaseofhappiness.eur.nl/hapnat/natfp.htm

    After this year's horrendous winter I'm sure there are more unhappy Canadians.
  28. Snowed in in Barrie from Canada writes: I give a good chunk of my income to charities that help with health care in the third world. Then I enjoy the warm, fuzzy feeling that I've saved the life of someone somewhere that I'll never meet.

    Should I buy antibiotics for someone who desperately needs them, or should I buy a useless trinket for myself.

    Decisions, decisions...
  29. John Walters from Waterloo, Canada writes: Could it be? I am asking, could it? That the human species survived these millions of years, resultant of mutual generosities. Vulnerable, and always at risk, he shared and survived. Or could it be that the animal catch was shared, not because of generosity, but because it would otherwise rot.

    We are being felled by refrigeration.
  30. harry carnie from Northern, B.C., Canada writes: Elaine IN B.C. still hitting the mark.
    My feelings exactly...if they do NOT like it here....F***off
  31. Elaine In BC from Canada writes: Thank you, Harry, but please - language! Think of the little ones! ;)
  32. Krakatoa East of Java from Canada writes: John Walters from Waterloo, Canada writes: Could it be? I am asking, could it? That the human species survived these millions of years, resultant of mutual generosities. Vulnerable, and always at risk, he shared and survived. Or could it be that the animal catch was shared, not because of generosity, but because it would otherwise rot.

    We are being felled by refrigeration

    Long before refrigeration - there was Salt

    read: The History Of Salt
  33. Ivan M from Chicago, United States writes: No wonder rich people are happier. They have all their mistresses to spend money on.
  34. dwight tanner from Canada writes: Were there just two alternatives studied - spending it on oneself, or on someone else? There are other alternatives including not spending it. Were the alternatives tested over time? The study seems like a simplification of real life experience.
  35. Dave of the North from Canada writes: Money makes you happy... if you earn it.
  36. W M from Canada writes: Paul Quinton from Luyksgestel, Netherlands writes: Most of the studies mentioned only confirm a correlation between happiness and giving money away. I think that the more likely causal link is that happy people like giving, rather than giving makes you happy.
    The test with the students involved only 46 students which is a very small sample. Also measuring happiness by a questionnaire is notoriously unreliable.
    ____________________________________________________________

    Paul, I was thinking the same thing, but the students weren't allowed to choose whether they gave they spent the money on others or themselves. They were assigned to do so. Therefore, the research does indeed suggest that there is a causal relationship (and a need for more definitive research). Also, while it is no doubt hard to measure absolute levels of happiness by questionnaire, it should not be all that hard to distinguish relative differences among a large enough group of respondents. I agree that 46 is not enough to predict a precise breakdown for an entire population, but it is big enough to identify tendencies.
  37. W M from Canada writes: dwight tanner from Canada writes: Were there just two alternatives studied - spending it on oneself, or on someone else? There are other alternatives including not spending it. Were the alternatives tested over time? The study seems like a simplification of real life experience.
    _________________________________________________________

    Agreed Dwight, and it probably merits looking at, but doesn't disprove the answer to the question that they did pose: Which has a greater impact on happiness, spending a windfall on yourself or others. Re. your last comment, could you describe an experiment that is not a simplification of real life experience? I don't know of any.
  38. W M from Canada writes: To all of the people who seem to be angered by the results of this study, you can relax. The researchers are not saying that you MUST take their advice. Nor are they saying that all people who spend some of their extra money on others will be happier, just most people. In fact, there are likely some people who are so determined to be misserable that it's hard to imagine anything making them happy (or maybe being misserable ... and being a missery to others ... is what makes them happy). Some such people may even have posted comments about this blog.
  39. doctor business from vancouver, Canada writes: We are interconnected. If we do well but all around us is misery then we are not doing well. If hardship is all around and we give something to better that for others then we feel accomplished. What I find so astounding is how basic basic facts like: We are all interconnected, interdependant for happiness and everything... can be lost in our individualist culture. LOL what language do we speak and how did we each as individuals develop it! Our culture is about trade but somehow we think we can prosper with greed: who will we trade with then? I do think it is a good point to note how the good feelings change between taxes/charity. However, the conclusion that charity can and is better at solving social malady (vs socialism) doesn't logically follow. You still, if you are rich, owe it to your country to redistribute that wealth some (taxes). But i agree that the psychological method may not be very effective. We get a lot of lies about welfare abusers rather than showing how people appreciate help... That has something to do with it. One last point, I know this is aside but: research shows that the poor give away more than the rich. The poor are more charitable. It's not a new fact, it is what professional funds-raisers work with and study all the time. It's even in the new testament where jesus lauds the poor woman who gives a bigger portion of her (measly) income to the temple (rather than the ostentatious rich giver of a larger sum). So maybe this other fact has to do with why we have the cliches about the rich not being happy or fulfilled. The poor are more likely to give it away. And according to this, that makes them happy. (though they will probably remain poor, so maybe socialism or something is in order...)
  40. W M from Canada writes: harry carnie from Northern, B.C., Canada writes: Elaine IN B.C. still hitting the mark. My feelings exactly...if they do NOT like it here....F***off

    Elaine In BC from Canada writes: Thank you, Harry, but please - language! Think of the little ones! ;)
    _________________________________________________________

    Elaine and Harry, who is saying Canada is a bad place? All I saw are comments saying that people can also be happy even in places that are much less wealthy. If you see that as an attack on Canada, I think you are missing the point.

    For the record, I am very proud to be Canadian and there is no place in the world I would rather live. One of the things I like about Canada is that we have universities where people can do the kind of research described in this article. You aren't saying that people who don't like that kind of think ought to get out of Canada are you?
  41. Rollo Tomasi from Grilled, Belgium writes: the next best thing to giving money away is buying a Porsche for yourself...may be
  42. Brian Woods from Toronto, Canada writes: Thanks for confirming how truly cynical G&M readers are. The act of giving as been reduced to socialism, petty insults, and grumblings about taxes and spending money on the necessities of life. It sucks to live in your world.
  43. Don Quixote from the frozen Banana Belt, Ont., Canada writes: The whole principle of taxation must be based on it:

    All levels of Governments, Churches, Charity want you all to be very happy.......

    ....so do something about it!
  44. Krakatoa East of Java from Canada writes: surely there is even a slight agenda here - unburdening the government by suggesting that individual citizens be more giving

    this would take us in the US direction would it not- where charities and so on are big business

    also what implications for the inheritance tax?

    for me the Canadian Banks are the place to start - the cheapest of the lot

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