Understand how people link happiness and money – when is enough enough?
The financial crisis has highlighted that people have an insatiable desire for more money and the “happiness” it brings. We do not know when enough is enough. Like sheep, we tend to follow the herd and get swept up in society’s definition of happiness. Abraham Maslow represented his psychological theory of human motivation in the form of a pyramid. Lower level needs such as food and shelter must be achieved first before a person naturally craves the next level. The uppermost point of the pyramid is self-actualization, which encompasses meaning, creativity, spontaneity and personal growth. Social Trends is a ‘state of the nation’ report from the Office of National Statistics in the UK. The April 2008 report concludes that, over the years, people have become wealthier but this has not made them any happier. Since most people in the first world have satisfied the most basic needs on Maslow’s pyramid, they now need more than just money to keep them satisfied. People are starting to desire
