Yes, it does.

Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash

I have a controversial opinion I’d like to say here that may raise a few eyebrows.

Whoever believes that “money can’t buy happiness” should take all their money and give it to me. 

You can’t say that to people who are actually struggling and I’m pretty sure whoever it was who said this didn’t have to spend more than half their lives working hard to earn it. It was probably someone who don’t know the word “contentment” in their capacity to make their lives a lot easier compared to most people. They don’t appreciate not having to worry about anything for the lack of it. 

It’s really hypocritical to say that it CAN’T buy happiness because it CAN.

The question is, what makes you happy anyway? If you’re like me who gets happy when I am able to give to my family, then it makes sense to say that money does buy you happiness. If we’d be realistic, the more money you have, the lesser you are weighed down by the stress from paying off bills and everyday expenses. Like how if money wasn’t an issue, you will be able to provide for your family.

At the moment, I got tons of problems that can be solved easily if I have lots of money at my disposal.

I believe that even if you’re around family, loved ones and most cherished friends, but you are besieged by financial difficulties, I don’t think you can truly be happy. Whoever claims that they’re “happy together even if our stomach’s empty” hasn’t been really hungry before. Poverty shouldn’t be romanticized as if it’s more noble to live it, and wanting money doesn’t mean an empty life with lesser purpose. 

And if someone asks me why kids are happy even if they don’t have money, well they don’t have responsibilities that adults have, that’s why.

This doesn’t mean that I will treat money as a god, because that is not what I’m getting at. While money does buy some level of happiness, it isn’t everything. I said it can buy happiness but that is not to discount God, religion or other important things like health, love, friendship, etc. I didn't say that life is nothing but a quest for money.

Money is merely a tool to make your life a lot easier and for some, if not most of us, happier. Don’t shame me for saying something out loud that you probably thought deep inside too.