Happiness is one of the many emotions that man owns. It is a natural part of him and he can’t deny it either. When life gives man opportunities and raises his standing or if he receives something good he becomes happy. Wealth on the other hand is related with earning money. It is a material object. While happiness is a spiritual feeling. Both of these feelings are interlinked at some points and are apart in others.
As John Templeton wisely said:
“Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth… Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it.”
What made People Happy?
In the Past:
In the past, achieving happiness was easy. It was the little things in one’s life that made him happy. He did not necessarily need money to have a happy life. Just having his family by his side, a roof on his head, clothes on his bare skin, and a decent meal were enough to make him happy. These were the basic necessities of his life. He did not have any sort of lust for power or dominance. He was happy without the fame and attention. He was completely satisfied having a normal life.
It was in those times that Shakespeare described happiness in its purest form, he said:
“I always feel happy, you know why? Because I do not expect anything from anyone, expectations always hurt… Life is short, so love your life, be happy… and keep smiling. Just live for yourself and before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you pray, forgive. Before you hurt, feel. Before you hate, love. Before you quit, try. Before you die, live.”
In Modern Era:
In modern times, with the rise in the economy and the rapid increase in urbanization, man started feeling the need to rise to the top. Suddenly, before they knew it they were lost in their long pursuit of wealth. Man started getting greedier by the minute. What he had was never enough for him. He needed more. He felt empty without it, failing to realize that it was wealth indeed that was the cause of this emptiness in the first place.
Henry Ford was the one who brilliantly said that:
“Wealth, like happiness, is never attained when sought after directly. It comes as a by-product of providing a useful service.”
Achieving Materialistic Happiness:
But can man be blamed for this selfishness? Since it was due to economic issues that he was forced to go out to earn in the first place. Since earning bread became harder and harder, he started working more and more to obtain sufficient wealth for him as well as his family to live in. But since his co-workers owned huge houses and branded cars, he starts to feel left out. He becomes unsatisfied with what he already has. So in order to achieve his so-called happiness, which in actuality is only materialistic happiness, he strives to earn wealth.
Jim Rohn was reported to have wisely said that:
“If you want to be healthy, study health… if you want to be wealthy, study wealth… if you want to be happy, study happiness.”
Conclusion:
In the end, one cannot become truly happy by only the materialistic things in life. Life is supposed to be much more valuable than that. He should treasure his happiness and open his eyes to see the things that he wants to pursue will not give him the happiness he wants. He cannot go on ignoring the things that truly matter, his family for example. Wealth can only provide him temporary happiness. He can only satisfy his needs for a little while. It is as they say that ‘Money can’t buy you happiness’.
The famous Musician Ludwig van Beethoven was reported to have said:
“Recommend virtue to your children, that alone- not wealth- can give happiness. It upholds in adversity and the thought of it and my art prevents me from putting an end to my life.”