Even with decades of research and thousands of years of ancient wisdom at our disposal, many of us continue to aspire to things that have no prospect of bringing us real meaning or joy. What are they?
- Money. Once a person’s needs are met, more money rarely leads to greater happiness. In fact, too much money can lead to increased loneliness and anxiety, and complicate our relationships. This is because money often triggers us emotionally and complicates our views of the world.
- Likes. Millions of people seek the dopamine hit of “likes” and views on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or other platforms, believing that more social media friends and attention will mean a greater sense of worth. But emerging evidence shows that social media use and happiness are inversely correlated. The rise of social media generally has been directly linked to increases in depression and anxiety.
- Stuff. Accumulating material possessions doesn’t improve life satisfaction and can actually lead to deeper feelings of anxiety, insecurity, and emptiness. Like money, no matter how much stuff we have, someone else will always has more.
- What these things can’t do is provide for the most meaningful experiences in life — friendship, flow, a sense of purpose, and love.
Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here.
Surveys on happiness continue to show that joy and fulfillment levels in the U.S. have flattened or declined over time — even as material prosperity grows — with a sharp drop as Covid shook the world in 2020. Globally, there are wide distributions in happiness and a broad number of factors in play, but what’s clear is that well-being is driven only partially by material security.
