claire's homework

Introduction:
A famous British psychologist Robert Holden said: "We all have a 'happiness set point', but it is not associated with our bank balance." Most of people spend their time on perusing to be richer, powerful and successful. The purpose of it is no more than make them to be satisfactory to their life. However, a survey which conducted by American reporter shows that there are more than half of the American are not happy nowadays even their average salary are 3 times more than 20 years ago. What are the factors that contribute to that? What is the correct definition to “satisfaction”? In this essay, my purpose is to analyze the reasons of this problem. Then, the importance of the both sides to us will be discussed.

Summary
Article: Money Doesn't Make People Happy
Oswald (professor at Warwick University) said the countries have no need to become richer if they filled the larders already. Also, more and more economists are interest about “what makes us happy?” economists made a survey which compares data on wealth, education and marital status with the results of happiness. The investigators expand their range from personal to countries. The result shows that if a person or a country is very rich already, higher salary or income won’t make those people happier a lot than before. However, Will Wilkinson (a policy analyst at the Cato Institute in Washington D.C., who runs a blog on happiness research and public policy. ) pointed out that we cant make the relationship between money and happiness clearly. Richer people are tend to control more and to be richer. So, not only one factor drives to this consequence, but many of different factors. Some of advises suggest that getting married will be happier. A survey show the happy people can find their soul mate than depressed people. Both Oswald and Richard Layard both think that relationship is more important than money. Oswald also thinks if you are depressing now, why don’t you just wait and you may became happier in future. Danny Kahneman (the only psychologist ever to win the Nobel Prize in economics) investigated the feeling of 1000 working women. The result shows they thought their jobs are miserable. The happiest time is hanging out with their friends rather than company your spouse.

Reference:
Tim Harford, a Financial Times columnist, is the author of The Undercover Economist.

Daniel Kahneman (born 5 March 1934) is an Israeli psychologist and Nobel laureate, notable for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making, behavioral economics and hedonic psychology.
http://www.forbes.com/2006/02/11/tim-harford-money_cz_th_money06_0214harford.html