How are happiness, money and morality

How are happiness and morality

More recently, a group of scientists from Harvard, Yale and the University of Colorado conducted a series of psychological experimentsTrue Happiness: The Role of Morality in the Folk Concept of Happiness. In which subjects were asked to estimate the degree of happiness fictional nurse Sarah.

In the first case, the participants were told the following story. After several years of study, Sarah got a job at a children's hospital. It is the job of her dreams. Almost every day, Sara feels good and feels a lot of positive emotions. The reason of her condition that she helps sick children by giving them useful Vitaminka. Sarah does not know exactly how many children she has helped, but she liked to think of them, falling asleep at night.

The subjects rated the level of happiness of Sarah (let's call her "Sarah №1») is very high.

But researchers told another story about Sarah №2. She, too, got a job at a children's hospital after a few years of schooling. And it almost always feels good and feels a lot of pleasant emotions. But the reason for the joy of Sarah №2 is that it gives children poisoned vitamins. №2 Sarah knows how many children died because of her, but she likes to think of them, falling asleep at night.

level of happiness Sarah №2 has been estimated lower than Sarah №1.

So what is the difference between the two nurses? Scientists believe that good status and positive emotions to determine happiness enough. A significant role for the people here play moral values. In other words, most of us think that happiness includes the concept of morality.

How are ethics and money

If happiness depended on nobleness of our actions, the world would consist of one altruists. But this is not the case.

Economists from the University of Bonn conducted a series of experimentsMorals and Markets. To learn how to market relations will affect the ability of people to kill mice.

In the first case, they gave each participant a choice. He could take 10 euros, but then the mouse would be gassed, or refuse the money, then the mouse would have lived. Money took less than half of the subjects - 46%.

In the second experiment, the researchers added an element of market relations. Now for one person held responsible for the life of the mouse, and the other was given 20 euros. If both agree on how to divide moneyThat is, each would receive compensation, the mouse would have killed. If they had not come to an agreement (that is, if one or both refused to bargain), the mouse would have remained alive. In this case we could agree 72% of the subjects.

In a third experiment, a full-fledged market was created. There were a few "sellers" who are responsible for the mouse and a few "customers" with money. Under these conditions the number of transactions has increased to 76%.

The results suggest that individually most of us would have refused the money, not to make something morally questionable. But in a market environment weakened our moral standards, so we are willing to sacrifice some of the principles for the sake of gain.

How are money and happiness

If so many people are willing to barter moral principles for money, what about statements like "Happiness can not be bought" and "Not in money happiness"? Science proves that there is not so simple.

StudyHigh income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. 2010 was to determine how income affects the assessment of life and emotional well-being of people. The first term describes most people's thoughts about their lives and about what they own. The second is related to the intensity of the experiences of different feelings: joy, affection, sadness, anger.

Scientists have found out that the increase in revenue is directly related to the growth of life assessment.

Emotional well-being and at the same time increases, but to a certain limit - 75 thousand dollars a year. After crossing that mark a person is not experiencing more positive emotions in connection with an increase in income.

Of course, 75 thousand dollars - a decent amount. Although, it should be noted that the study was published in 2010, when the exchange rate was two times lower. When recalculated the amount still get impressive. But it is not beyond the clouds.

Money determines the material rather than the emotional well-being. Besides, not everything can be bought.

On the topic just reflects Harvard researcher Michael Sandel (Michael Sandel) in his book "What money can not buy. Moral restrictions of the free market». He suggests thinking about a society where people have become a kind of billboards: rent companies areas of the body, so that they can make them tattoo with the advertisement. Sandel believes that people, of course, will be paid for it, but are unlikely to be happy.

Output

When we talk about happiness, we are referring to a good life. A good life, including means that you feel worthy of man. If you can not buy that feeling, you can not buy happiness. Although, no doubt, with money you can do a lot of other pleasant acquisitions.