Article: Can't Buy Love, But Can Give Away Happiness

(Note: This is from an older article, in 2008, but still quite fascinating.)

Michael Norton, assistant professor of business administration in the marketing unit at the Harvard Business School, completed a study on which made people happier: having money, wishing they had money, or giving it away.  While having money and buying material possessions for themselves gave a short lasted happiness, it was the last that gave the most benefit.

"We found that people who spent the money on themselves that day weren’t happier that evening, but people who spent it on others were. The amount of money, $5 or $20, didn’t matter at all. It was only how people spent it that made them happier.”

My thoughts: This shows that happiness is contagious- the giver gets it from the receiver.  Also, the giver will get some of the "moral fortitude strength" mentioned in another article.  All in all, no downside here.

Any thoughts?

 

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/04/money-spent-on-others-can-buy-happiness/