Here’s What Science Says
Read the article and decide if the sentences below are true or false:
1. Mark Cuban believes that becoming rich will automatically make a miserable person happy.
2. Elon Musk’s struggles with mental health and stress began only after he became the world’s richest man.
3. According to the Wharton School study, the more money you earn, the less happiness you gain from every additional dollar.
4. Research suggests that people who view money as the primary measure of success are generally happier than those who don’t.
5. The “hedonic treadmill” refers to the tendency of humans to quickly adapt to a higher standard of living and want more.
6. The author argues that because Elon Musk is the world’s richest man, he has successfully reached the end of the ‘hedonic treadmill’ and found peace.
7. According to the text, the risk of measuring success by money is that there is almost always someone wealthier to envy.
8. Alain de Botton argues that extreme ambition can sometimes be a symptom of emotional instability.
Key: 1F; 2F; 3T; 4F; 5T; 6F; 7T; 8T
Glossary
- to polarize – to divide people or opinions into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of beliefs
- to meddle – to interfere in something that is not one’s business or concern, often in an annoying or intrusive way
- dead – completely, absolutely, or precisely
- to attest – to provide evidence for; to declare that something exists or is true based on personal observation or experience
- to be tortured – to suffer from intense mental anguish, anxiety, or internal struggle
- unrelenting – never becoming weaker
- abyss – literally a deep or bottomless chasm; figuratively, it refers to a catastrophic situation, a profound void, or a “dark place” (like deep depression or ruin)
- to amplify – to make something larger, louder, or more powerful
- to blare – to make a loud, harsh, and typically unpleasant sound
- wrinkle – a minor difficulty, complication
- accolades – an expression of praise, admiration, or an award given as an acknowledgment of merit
Practice makes perfect
Read this article:
https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/more-proof-that-money-can-buy-happiness
and fill in the blanks using the words from the list above (Glossary). You may need to change the verb tense.
1. For people living in poverty, a broken car isn’t just a nuisance; it’s a major ………… that can derail their entire week.
2. The study found that while everyone faces problems, wealth ….…….. one’s ability to resolve them quickly by providing more options.
3. High-income individuals feel more in control, whereas those with low incomes may feel they are staring into an ………… of debt every time an emergency happens.
4. Jachimowicz’s research ………… to the fact that money acts as a buffer, preventing small issues from turning into disasters.
5. Living at the edge of one’s means often leads to ………….. pressure that can lower job performance and harm relationships.
6. Some argue that the gap between the ultra-wealthy and the poor serves to …………… society, creating two completely different lived experiences.
7. Even if a person has received many …………. and professional awards, they may still feel like a ………….. soul if they lack internal peace.
8. The researcher’s description of the “shame spiral” was ………….. accurate; many participants felt exactly that sense of personal failure.
9. For a person in a “shame spiral,” the negative thoughts in their head …………… like a loud siren, making it hard to focus on solutions.
Key: 1. wrinkle; 2. amplifies; 3. abyss; 4. attests; 5. unrelenting; 6. polarize; 7. accolades, tortured; 8. dead; 9. blare
Discuss
- The second article mentions the “hedonic treadmill.” If someone like Elon Musk is still staring into a mental abyss despite his billions, does that attest to the idea that money only fixes “outside” problems, not “inside” ones?
- If someone was unhappy before becoming wealthy, is it realistic to expect money to “fix” that? Why or why not?
- Jon Jachimowicz argues that money doesn’t just buy pleasure—it reduces stress. Which do you think matters more for happiness: increasing joy or reducing anxiety?
- Research suggests that people who equate money with success tend to be less happy. Why might this be the case?
- Do misery and ambition often go together?
- Think about a time when having (or lacking) money affected your stress levels. Was it about luxury—or about control?
- Would you rather earn significantly more money with higher stress, or maintain moderate income with lower stress? Why?
- If your income doubled tomorrow, what specific stresses would disappear—and what new pressures might emerge?
- Would you prefer more money or more free time? Why?
- What values, besides financial security, do you think are essential for long-term happiness?
Watch and Revise!
Can Money Really Buy Happiness
Musk vs. Cuban Debate
https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/TypaHC9WxzgkWMa
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