Desert Reflections
Email this articleThe Economics of Happiness
by Jen JacksonBlog Last Updated; 3/2/2010
Yesterday morning, I sat at the table in our cozy little home and picked away at my editing responsibilities. The first truly spring-like day of the year dawned outside, so I left the front door open, allowing the crisp air and sunlight ? the promise of a change of season ? to enter my workspace. The woodstove burned along beside me, helping to take the chill off. Hundreds of birds chirped happily in the cottonwood trees along Pack Creek, 50 yards from the trailer. I sipped my tea and smiled, inwardly acknowledging the existence and extent of my contentment. I am happy. Life is good.
I later shared these sentiments with a friend who agreed that his happiest days were his simplest ones ? when staying
in a trailer with no utilities to get out of the winter wind was a small kind of heaven. This got me to thinking
about a radio interview I heard years ago with Bill McKibben, just after the release of his book "Deep Economy."
According to McKibben, studies on the correlation of money and happiness have shown a story of diminishing returns.
Money will buy happiness...to a point. And that point is quite low ? around $10,000 a year. Once our immediate needs
are met, then all the surplus purchases we make don't bring us any more contentment. We're happiest in fulfilling our
basic requirements, and beyond that, things just get more complicated.
These are fairly revolutionary thoughts for a society that is based upon the ideology of the cancer cell ? growth for
the sake of growth (as Ed Abbey put it). But, revolutionary though they may be, these ideas ring true if you look at
the vast material wealth of our nation alongside the soaring rates of depression and anxiety.
So, how do we simplify? How do we bring it back to basics? Honestly, beyond my circle of friends here in Moab, there
aren't many people in my life who would embrace the kind of lifestyle Tyler and I enjoy ? hauling water, chopping
wood, laughing at the quirks of a 40-year-old trailer, and discussing creative ways to fix the plumbing, grow our own
food and devise our own entertainment. Plus, this life isn't for everyone. I don't think we all need to move to
trailer parks to find freedom and peace. It's certainly taught me a great deal about life and joy and simplicity and
hope, but everyone's got their own path to these lessons. Furthermore, Tyler and I live this way out of a certain
amount of necessity. If we suddenly found great wealth in our bank accounts, would we still embrace such minimalism?
I'd like to think we would ? we agree that living gently and modestly is important to us ? but who's to say?
For now, though, I am content in this unconventional life. My needs are met, and I am able to focus on cultivating
"better" ? better health, better relationships with people and place, better dreams ? instead of the accumulation of
"more." I am finding the wealth in austerity, and for this opportunity, I am grateful.
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Friday, March 05, 2010
at 8:46:30 AM
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Nick says:
Thank you for the insightful article Jen, I enjoyed reading it.
I believe it’s not possible to make a general statement on whether money makes people more or less happy. Money comes with a whole set of new elements that may have
good or bad impact on our happiness, and depending on how susceptible we are to every one of them, the conclusion will go one way or the other (i.e. different from
person to person).
I recently made an effort to provide a more comprehensive picture of what these ad- and disadvantages are. I invite you to have a look at Money and Happiness
and tell me what you think!
Thank you,
Nick
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
at 11:36:38 AM
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Ken says:
Yes: Want less, do more. You must've read "Walden," I'm sure. If not, do. Now. Rock on.