Choose Happiness Over Money?
Really?
In Singapore, there was a recent study of 18- to 35-year-olds who chose happiness over wealth, this, according to Singapore’s Generation Asia findings. Interesting to see survey results on how to live a happy life, and what this study revealed.
Some chose happiness over money in light of them living at home, with minimal expenses.
The online survey of 1,500 people is Asia’s most comprehensive psychographic study in terms of the number of respondents, geographical coverage and insights into 16 key topics: Beauty, communication, education, entertainment, fashion, food, health, kids, love, luxury, media, money, sports, technology, travel and vehicles.
One of the key findings was that 75.4 per cent feel that happiness is more important than making money.
One of the panel members, Executive Editor of TODAY Phin Wong, 34, said: “The bigger question is, do they know what makes them happy? Do they know what direction happiness lies? Do they know what it takes to be happy versus a list of things they don’t like?”
Most people will do what they need to do to get by. Life experience has a way of changing ones perspective on things. It would be interesting to follow-up with the 18-24 yr olds in another 8 yrs and see what their perspective is on happiness over money after they’ve been out in the world a bit and paid their own way for a while.
Will it change their response?
Ms Eugenie Yeo, 33, Regional Brand Marketing Manager of Discovery Networks Asia Pacific and one half of Riot! Records, believed that making money is not their priority as they have an easy life. “At 30, they might still be living with their parents. Financial gain isn’t their priority,” she said.
“It is about balance. In today’s society, without money, you’d be a very unhappy person,” said Ms Pearlyn Koh aka DJ Foxxxy, 24. “It is about earning enough and spending within your means.”
I think you learn what is important as you grow and develop your values. When life throws you curve balls you learn to adapt and there may be times you wish for more money and times you wish for more happiness. As we see below they’re even questioning if they know what happiness is.
“To come back to Phin’s point, do these youths know what happiness is? Or is it something that society is teaching them?” he added.
Mr Nicholas Seguy, 32, co-founder of French sneaker brand Feiyue, did not agree with the findings. “I don’t see that as the real behaviour of 18- to 35-year-olds in Singapore. I think they are still very driven by materialism, if not more than the generation before them.”
I believe it is possible to learn how to live a happy life while having an equal amount of happiness and money!
Do we need to choose happiness over money, after all, aren’t they both necessary?
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