金錢與快樂新論

　　金錢與快樂新論

　　What You Dtdn t Know about Money and Happiness

　　ver the past 15 years,researchers have studied the connection between money and happiness. Their findings shatter many misconceptions. Here are five of the most surprising results.

　　1. Everyone needs a few luxuries to be happy.

　　A six-figure income affords a family many pleasures-- a more luxurious home, perhaps a trip to Disneyland or a fancier car. But do such things make you happier?

　　Pleasure is not the same as happiness. Pleasure is a temporary release.  Happiness comes from experiences in which one＇s mental and emotional energies are invested.

　　Just as happy families value pleasures that involve personal effort, so they value possessions that have personal meaning, like Grandma＇s wedding ring. Unhappy people,however, are more likely to prize possessions because of their cost or utility, a car that handles well or an expensive necklace.

　　2. Happiness is a permanent vacation.

　　Would you quit your job if you didn＇ t need the money?Many Americans said quitting work was an important reason to be rich. Yet researchers find that work is one of life＇s chief satisfactions for people.

　　A job, studies show, is more than a paycheck. Doing something well can increase confidence and self-worth.

　　3. A big raise would make you happy.

　　If jobs are so important, wouldn＇t salary size be a gauge of job satisfaction? Americans think so. A survey found that almost 70 percent of the respondents said they would be happier if their families had twice as much household income. Yet studies show that job satisfaction comes less from how much people earn than from the challenge of their jobs and the control they are able to exert. Work that doesn＇t engage a person will never seem rewarding, no matter how lucrative it becomes.

　　4. Nothing comforts like cash.

　　In times of crisis--a debilitating illness or loss of one＇s home--money can come in pretty handy. But for all its benefits, it cannot fortify you against the inevitable pain and sadness that follow the crisis. For that, researchers say, you need close friendships. "Human beings are hard-wired to be social animals". "They＇re not built to handle things alone."

　　5. Happiness and wealth aren＇t mutually exclusive.

　　It＇s possible to have both--or neither. But most believe that those who have happiness, in the long run, have more.Even author Oscar Wilde agreed: "Ordinary riches can be stolen from a man. Real riches cannot. In the treasury house of your soul, there are infinitely precious things that may not

　　be taken from you."

　　金錢與快樂新論

　　研究人員在過去的十五年里對金錢和快樂之間的關(guān)系進行了研究。他們的研究結(jié)果摧毀了許多原有的錯誤觀念。以下是五個最令人驚訝的結(jié)果：

　　1.每個人都需要一些奢侈品以獲得快樂。

　　六位數(shù)的收入足以支付一個家庭的許多享樂——家里可以更奢華一些，到迪斯尼樂園去旅行或者擁有更高級的汽車。而這些東西真的能使你快樂嗎?

　　享樂不同于快樂。享樂只是一時的放松，而快樂來自那些使心理和情感的能力都得以充實的經(jīng)歷。

　　快樂的家庭看重的是通過個人努力而獲得的樂趣，珍惜對個人有意義的物品，比如說奶奶的結(jié)婚戒指；而不快樂的人更傾向于看重造價和功用更高的財產(chǎn)，比如一輛好車或一條昂貴的項鏈。

　　2.快樂是永遠的休假。

　　如果你不需要錢，你會放棄工作嗎?很多美國人說想放棄工作是他們想成為富翁的一個重要原因。但研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)工作是使人們對生活滿足的主要因素之一。

　　研究表明，工作不僅僅是一張工資單。把事情做好能夠提升自信心和自我價值。

　　3.工資大幅增長會使你快樂。

　　如果工作如此重要，薪水的高低不就是對工作滿意程度的標準嗎?美國人認為是這樣的。一次調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)幾乎70％的調(diào)查對象說如果他們家庭的收入能夠翻一番，他們會感到快樂。但研究顯示工作的滿足感更多的來自于工作的挑戰(zhàn)和在工作中能夠施展的控制力，而不是他們掙錢的多少。不能讓人忙碌的工作不論多么有利可圖，永遠不會讓人感到得到了應得的報償。

　　4.沒有比鈔票更能安慰人的東西。

　　在危機時刻——得了損耗身心的疾病或失去家庭時——錢是非常有用的。可是盡管金錢有這些好處，它卻不能使你克服隨著危機而來的痛苦和悲傷。要克服痛苦悲傷，研究人員說，你需要親密的友誼�！叭司褪潜痪o緊地限定為一種社會動物，他們被創(chuàng)造出來并不是為了單獨地解決問題”。

　　5.快樂和財富并不是相互抵觸的。

　　我們可以同時擁有快樂和財富，或者這兩樣東西都沒有。但大多數(shù)人認為擁有快樂的人最終會擁有更多。甚至作家奧斯卡·王爾德也同意：“普通的財富可以被人偷走。真正的財富不會被偷走。在你靈魂的寶庫里有無數(shù)別人拿不走的珍品。”    .