金钱与快乐新论

　　金钱与快乐新论

　　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."

　　金钱与快乐新论

　　研究人员在过去的十五年里对金钱和快乐之间的关系进行了研究。他们的研究结果摧毁了许多原有的错误观念。以下是五个最令人惊讶的结果：

　　1．每个人都需要一些奢侈品以获得快乐。

　　六位数的收入足以支付一个家庭的许多享乐——家里可以更奢华一些，到迪斯尼乐园去旅行或者拥有更高级的汽车。而这些东西真的能使你快乐吗?

　　享乐不同于快乐。享乐只是一时的放松，而快乐来自那些使心理和情感的能力都得以充实的经历。

　　快乐的家庭看重的是通过个人努力而获得的乐趣，珍惜对个人有意义的物品，比如说奶奶的结婚戒指；而不快乐的人更倾向于看重造价和功用更高的财产，比如一辆好车或一条昂贵的项链。

　　2．快乐是永远的休假。

　　如果你不需要钱，你会放弃工作吗?很多美国人说想放弃工作是他们想成为富翁的一个重要原因。但研究人员发现工作是使人们对生活满足的主要因素之一。

　　研究表明，工作不仅仅是一张工资单。把事情做好能够提升自信心和自我价值。

　　3．工资大幅增长会使你快乐。

　　如果工作如此重要，薪水的高低不就是对工作满意程度的标准吗?美国人认为是这样的。一次调查发现几乎70％的调查对象说如果他们家庭的收入能够翻一番，他们会感到快乐。但研究显示工作的满足感更多的来自于工作的挑战和在工作中能够施展的控制力，而不是他们挣钱的多少。不能让人忙碌的工作不论多么有利可图，永远不会让人感到得到了应得的报偿。

　　4．没有比钞票更能安慰人的东西。

　　在危机时刻——得了损耗身心的疾病或失去家庭时——钱是非常有用的。可是尽管金钱有这些好处，它却不能使你克服随着危机而来的痛苦和悲伤。要克服痛苦悲伤，研究人员说，你需要亲密的友谊。“人就是被紧紧地限定为一种社会动物，他们被创造出来并不是为了单独地解决问题”。

　　5．快乐和财富并不是相互抵触的。

　　我们可以同时拥有快乐和财富，或者这两样东西都没有。但大多数人认为拥有快乐的人最终会拥有更多。甚至作家奥斯卡·王尔德也同意：“普通的财富可以被人偷走。真正的财富不会被偷走。在你灵魂的宝库里有无数别人拿不走的珍品。”    ．

本文来源：http://www.qingyiyi.cn/article/rT5O.html