Monday, July 17, 2006

New Straits Times - Malaysia News Online-Comment: Happiness, money and giving it away

New Straits Times - Malaysia News Online: "WOULD you be happier if you were richer? Many people believe that they would be. But research conducted over many years suggests that greater wealth implies greater happiness only at quite low levels of income.

People in the United States, for example, are, on average, richer than New Zealanders, but they are not happier.

More dramatically, people in Austria, France, Japan and Germany appear to be no happier than people in much poorer countries like Brazil, Colombia and the Philippines.

Comparisons between countries with different cultures are difficult, but the same effect appears within countries, except at very low income levels, such as below US$12,000 (RM44,400) annually for the US. "

No comments: