We often have a skewed perception of happiness in the sense that we presume we’re either happy or we’re not, with little really in between. The reality, of course, is not quite so straightforward, as research from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business explains.
Instead, the study shows that our relationship between happiness and our sense of meaning is highly dependent upon our financial situation. For instance, the study shows that meaning tends to be a greater predictor of happiness among people with low income than among those with higher incomes.
In other words, the authors suggest that people with more money can indeed be happier, but people with less money tend to tie happiness with meaning more frequently. What’s more, this pattern was consistent around the world, suggesting it’s a fairly universal characteristic.
The importance of money
The researchers are at pains to point out that their findings shouldn’t be used to dismiss the very real importance of wealth or the disadvantages lower-income people face. Rather, they believe that they might provide policymakers with some context around happiness, and that meaning and purpose should not be neglected when trying to help lower-income communities.
Indeed, they even believe that their findings can play a crucial role in guiding mental health interventions, as low-income people were twice as likely to suffer from depression than people with higher incomes.
“Whereas mental health treatments in low- and middle-income countries most commonly encourage people to identify their thoughts and feelings, engage in problem-solving and eliciting support, our findings suggest that one additional avenue for such interventions might be rooted in meaning,” the researchers explain.
We crave purpose
Purpose even has advantages for wealthier people too, as the study found that it was associated with longer-lasting wellbeing than happiness on its own. What’s more, securing a sense of meaning in one’s life is certainly something we can be proactive about.
“People who succeed in finding meaning experience both meaning and happiness, but those who can’t find meaning aren’t happy, consistent with other research,” the researchers explain.
The authors hypothesize that meaning and purpose have a greater role to play in the happiness of less well-off people because perhaps they lack access to more material things and so turn inwards for happiness. While that does have some logic to it, there is significant literature on the power of purpose and meaning to our life.
Similarly, research from McGill University highlights the vital role non-material factors actually play in our happiness. Instead, the study finds that things such as social networks, freedom, and fairness tend to play a much bigger role in our happiness.
The findings emerged after examining a number of global wellbeing surveys conducted over the last decade. The authors believe their findings underline the importance of focusing on non-financial matters when it comes to improving the wellbeing of citizens.
“Long-run policies that are overly focused on economic growth will have limited effects on well-being,” they explain. “If human well-being is the main goal of governments, their resources would be more wisely spent based on what really matters most for human experience.”
That many of the things that give us such meaning and purpose don’t cost much, if anything at all, this can perhaps give policymakers some insights into the most effective and impactful interventions.
