Happiness Is...

I read an article last weekend about stuff.  Really, it was about stuff--what you can buy, and how much happiness it will give.  It mentioned something called "hedonic adaptation," the way humans get used to new things in order to maintain a level of comfort in their lives.

Because of this hedonic adaptation, the thrill we get from the things we buy wears off over time.  So we buy more stuff to get that thrill.  

I think all that stuff traps us, even beyond the debt.  No, I'm not saying we should all reduce down to just 100 possessions.  But what if we just started spending our money with long-term satisfaction in mind?  Would we be happier? 

I think the article is correct in saying there's not much instruction out there for how to really spend your money well.  How do we get the most satisfaction out of spending?  I don't think we really make purchases with our eyes wide open; am I really going to be happy pulling that sweater out of all my other dirty clothes and taking it to the cleaners?  Will I be happy going to pick it up, running my debit card to pay for it, checking it to ensure they cleaned it properly?

If I go into debt to have something now, what kind of happiness will it bring me?  Will I ever grumble about that monthly payment?  Am I ever going to regret that monthly payment?

Will I be happy maintaining it when it breaks?  Can I acknowledge that it will run down, run out, or be used up at some point?

I think it's okay to make purchase decisions with these considerations in mind.  I think most of us don't want our lives to be ruled by taking care of our stuff.  We want some leisure, some time with loved ones.  And I think we have some experience in the satisfaction of maintaining the stuff that we never regret buying.  I still enjoy having the oil changed on my Yaris, I still occasionally feel very content at the ability to have arrived at point B from point A without a breakdown or hang-up.

Isn't that a good feeling--to continue to feel really good about spending your money on something?  How often do we really get that feeling?  

I think the article hit it right on the head--that people really can count on lasting satisfaction from spending money on experiences.  Happiness really is doing something, and doing it with folks you love.  It's not just Teotihuacan, or the Alambra, or Pilot Mountain, or the Bellagio.  

Yeah, those were all really cool, but seeing them with family and friends was what made each experience.